AMHERST, N.Y. (WKBW) — Bouncy houses, games, mini golf and of course fun. It's a kid’s dream, but now, it’s all gone. Bounce Magic has been closed for months.
“[It’s] extremely disheartening, feels very much like we've been kicked in the gut,” Tim Wood, the owner of both Bounce Magic in Hamburg and Amherst.
Bounce Magic in Amherst has now permanently closed its doors because rent was piling up and no dollars were coming in because of the COVID shut down.
“It just got to the point that like this is un-surmountable as a local business with not very deep pockets,” said Wood.
But they're still waiting for when the state will allow the reopening of their Hamburg location. Yet other businesses, very similar to Bounce Magic, like get air in Tonawanda are open.
“It made me angry. Very self-controlled anger from within. I was like how is it that you can keep making money but I'm being told and monitored to make sure I'm not making money,” said Wood.
So why are some places similar to bounce magic open and others aren’t?
“People say to me aren’t you a part of phase four? and I say yes part of phase four point we don't know when because literally our entire industry has been forgotten,” Wood said.
Billy Beez posted on its Facebook page saying they're working to modify their facility so they can reopen at 30% capacity, which is the same capacity as gyms.
This has a representative from the Governor's office thinking some indoor entertainment places are reopening under the guise of a gym, but that's not allowed. According to the Governor's office, by definition, trampoline parks and the like are not considered gyms in New York state.
Jack Sterne, administration spokesperson, issued this statement: "Opening these businesses during a global pandemic is reckless and shows a disturbing indifference to New Yorkers' health and safety. These businesses are high-risk for the spread of COVID-19 and opening them is a slap in the face to those who have sacrificed over the last six months to stop the spread. We thank the businesses that have been complying with the state's rules -- and are taking immediate action to close these those that are illegally open."
Wood will keep waiting for the day he can open the right way.
“Our Hamburg location is set up. You walk in there's a sign that says mask on. You see the social distancing. You see it's all set up and ready to go,” Wood said.
