Irene Sparks Extra Business

Port Washington businesses that opened their doors to the public on Sunday, despite Irene, saw a steady stream of customers.

Sandy Blane, owner of , kept his shop open in midst of the storm.

“It was very good because in Port Washington, people actually finally shopped in town because they had no electricity and they were afraid to leave town," Blane said. "So we had more Port Washington shoppers than we normally would.”

Get Baked had a generator. That meant Blane knew he could keep refrigerators cool and the coffee brewing.

“Dunkin Donuts wasn’t open, so it was great for me,” Blane said of the extra business. “And then power came back at 5:00 p.m.”

Blane also runs the in town and was out at 5 a.m. to make sure the shop windows and doors were ready to brace Irene’s impact.

Referring to Sunday as a whole, Blane said, “Actually there were more people walking around than on a standard day, definitely by far…I was very happy.” 

on Main Street also benefitted by keeping its doors open.

Manager Paul DePaulis said the eatery brought in those residents experiencing “cabin fever.”

“A lot of the stores were closed, so we picked up unexpected business that way,” DePaulis said. “Usually when there are a lot of storms, business does pick up.”

Gino’s kept normal business hours and was able to make a lot of pizza because the pizza ovens are always able to work, even in a blackout.

DePaulis didn’t board up the windows or doors or even buy extra supplies and said, “We’re just lucky that LIPA put the power back on.”