SAN ANGELO, Texas — It has been approximately one year since road construction began on San Angelo's College Hills Boulevard. The roads remain bumpy with orange detour signs leading drivers through neighborhoods to steer clear of construction vehicles.
For some San Angelo businesses, this change in the flow of traffic and new developments have caused a struggle to retain customers.
"If you don't live in College Hills or you don't come over here very often, it's not the most well laid out bunch of streets. It's kind of a maze and so even with the detour signs it was rough," Bearded Barista co-owner Nat Turney said.
On Aug. 14, Turney created a Facebook post opening up about his lack of customers, noting the construction as a direct cause.
"I wrestled with that [making the post]," he said. "This is not the way we were raised, to ask for help. No one likes to admit that things aren't going well. You know, when people ask how you're doing, what do you say? 'Everything's fine, everyone's fine.' But the other part of me was saying if people don't know you're struggling they might just drive by and go, 'Well, they're okay.'"
After Monday's post, Turney's wife was surprised to see a steady increase in customers come Tuesday morning. Although Turney didn't tell his coworkers about the post at first, it was soon viewed approximately 10,000-12,000 times and shared nearly 1,000 times.
Since then, Turney has been feeling more optimistic about his coffee shop. However, he wants to note there are other businesses in the area who are also in need of some extra support from the community.
"We weren't prepared for the entire road to be shut down," College Hills Bodega co-owner Carson Beavers said. "We had an idea that there was some construction but we had no idea the impact it was gonna have. I don't think, honestly, anybody really did."
This neighborhood convenience store has been around since June 2022, selling energy drinks, ice cream, snack items and more.
For the first two or three months of operation, it was a thriving place for customers looking to cool down from the Texas heat.
"When the construction started, we saw our revenue drop by about 60% and that still has not recovered," Beavers said.
With no definitive end in sight, Beavers has been forced to cut hours, employees and lower overall inventory just to break even.
"Any business owner will tell you right now it's a struggle just with the normal day-to-day operations of owning a business but really with this construction going on, it kinda feels like the City's got us tied with our hands behind our back...," he said.
One reason the bodega has remained open is thanks to its regular set of customers who make the journey past the construction to support Beaver and his business.
"None of this is in our control but we do have the people in the community who have been stepping up and making a point to go out of their way to come over here and spend a dollar here and there," Beavers said.
From cold water bottles to Dippin' Dots and lottery tickets, the bodega has one goal in mind: to create convenience.
"When it comes to construction, you know, we're literally a convenience store here and the name of the game is convenience," Beavers said. "And we're not even able to offer that to our customers because of the construction that we're dealing with in front of the building."
In the same complex as the bodega is Lone Star Barber Parlor, which has been open for the past five years now.
Since the construction, the local business has lost a large majority of foot traffic customers who once would walk past the Red Arroyo Trail or from the San Angelo Dog Park and into the shop.
"It's actually gotten a lot worse," owner Mary Martinez said. "So even with us, thankfully we have our clientele and our regulars that come in all the time but if it wasn't for them we probably would be struggling right now...,"
Even Martinez herself said she would avoid the area if she didn't work there.
In order to stay open, she has been relying on regular customers, back-to-school specials and radio advertisements.
As fellow businesses have closed down, Martinez also notes, "Not being able to have those neighbors has also hurt us but nobody wants to be in this area 'cuz of all the construction right here."
Across the boulevard is Sports Next Level, a San Angelo sports complex with a bar and restaurant environment inside.
Marketing director Chance Vick said the business has remained relatively intact, although it has kept normal hours instead of staying open later in the summers as usual.
"You know, with construction you always kind of expect it to take a little while but we've been real fortunate, like our restaurant, we have a lot of pretty loyal customers so they've been trying to come as much as they want and we've just kind of been encouraging everybody that's not been able to make it- 'cuz a lot of people have a short lunch time- just to use the delivery service [including San Angelo To Go] so we're still able to get 'em good food," he said.
Vick said much of the customer base is children who participate in athletic practices after school.
Now "since sometimes we're not as busy as we used to be", he said the complex is hoping to add changes to the miniature golf course and driving range, as well.
As construction continues, these San Angelo businesses have all suffered in various ways. From a loss of customers and employees to cutting down hours, costs and products, it is unclear how many more changes will be in store with the continued street closures.
