COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KRHD) — Businesses in the Brazos County area are closing down, prompting inquiries into recent local economic trends.
- According to the Economic Development Center, the most common reasons why businesses close are due to labor issues, rising cost of goods and services, and financial challenges.
- 30 businesses opened in College Station between October 1, 2023-September 30, 2024.
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"The reality is that we are not immune to kind of the macro effects of what we're feeling at the national level," Assistant Director Of Economic Development, Brian Piscacek said.
Local businesses in the Brazos County have announced their permanent closure.
"Businesses are dealing with a lot of changes and challenges being labor issues, rising cost of goods and services, access to capital, those sorts of things," Piscacek said.
For some businesses, inflation and economic issues forced them to close the doors. But for Bubbie's Kolache And Bakery, the reason is a lot more personal.
"I lost my dad unexpectedly a little over a year ago, back in July 2023, so for the past little over a year, it's been me kind of running back and forth," owner of Bubbie's Kolache Kitchen And Bakery, Dylan Darzlik said.
"I've been going back home, helping my mom with feeding the cows and everything, and then managing the land and it's just gotten to the point where that's not maintainable anymore, so I want to free myself up more to be able to go home and be there to help her more."
15ABC sat with the owner of Bubbie's Kolache Kitchen And Bakery. He tells15ABC he's not surprised so many local businesses are closing, because when economic problems arise, the small businesses suffer the most.
"Your chains are never going to have a problem, they're going to survive no matter what, but it's your mom and pop places that are going to suffer the most," he said.
15ABC also spoke with the economic development resource center. They tell 15ABC the Brazos County has a strong support system, and that help is always available.
"We try to be that connecting point because the city can facilitate to a certain extent and that's that's something that we love to do and obviously help lift people up and help support them in that way," Piscacek said.