Following the fourth state of emergency declared in Tokyo due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection, businesses selling ice to restaurants and other places are in a difficult situation.
A 73-year-old ice wholesale company in Chuo-ku, Tokyo, uses a special machine to cut ice procured from an ice maker and sells it to about 700 stores such as restaurants, hotels, and event companies.
Sales have been halved since last spring due to the effects of shorter business hours and requests for closures for restaurants, etc., and about 10% of the business partners have closed down.
We have maintained employment by taking a break from some of our 20 employees and using national subsidies, but from the 12th, the state of emergency was declared again in Tokyo, and the business situation. I think it will be even more difficult.
In the summer, when demand for ice rises sharply, it is the time of scraping, which accounts for nearly half of annual sales. However, under the declaration of an emergency, restaurants that serve sake are requested to close again, and large-scale events are canceled. It is said that the future is uncertain one after another.
Hiromitsu Ito (46), president of "Chuo Refrigeration Industry", said, "There are some areas where it is unavoidable to declare an emergency based on the infection situation, but it will be a big pain in terms of management. It is a situation where the survival of the company is in jeopardy. "