DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — A Delray Beach ice cream shop is getting ready to open a second location, but there was a time when it seemed like the original spot might not make it.
Brendy's Ice Cream & Yogurt has been in downtown Delray Beach for more than a decade. Nestled in the middle of Pineapple Grove, the family-owned business didn't know if it would survive the pandemic.
"Once the pandemic happened, our sales (were) down to zero," owner Raghnall Raffael Rafi told WPTV.
He said the small shop, which employs about 10 people, was lucky enough to get a Paycheck Protection Program loan, allowing him to keep everyone on his staff and help pay the bills.
"Without the PPP loan, we would have closed our business a long time ago," he said.
Rafi said he's now preparing to open a second location at a new shopping center on the corner of Lyons Road and Atlantic Avenue. He's hoping the new location will reach more of the community, since the downtown location caters to a different market.
"Sixty to 70% of our business comes from tourists," he said.
Rafi admitted it's scary opening a new location without knowing any future impacts of the pandemic, but he's hopeful the community keeps supporting Brendy's to keep the sweet treats flowing.
Although construction has been delayed because of the pandemic, Rafi expects Brendy's to open its new location sometime in the summer.
