Eric Tedder needs a miracle right about now. Between the extremes of rain and heat this summer, the foot traffic into his Main Street bakery is dismal.
Short of a miracle, he's at a tipping point, and may not make it another week.
"If someone walked through that door right now with $4,000 and a fresh idea for how to get customers in the door, I'd be OK," said Tedder. "This was my dream."
He opened Eric's Main Street Bakery in November of 2012, excited for a shot at being part of the downtown business community. He says the city has been more than helpful in trying to boost his bottom line with ideas, like making his sign more visible in both directions.
He doesn't fault the limited parking, and feels that even if the sidewalk project has disrupted foot traffic, it's going to boost the downtown in the long run.
He just doesn't have the daily numbers to sustain things, after putting in 80 hours a week, he's depleted, physically and financially.
"I can't afford to take on anyone on payroll, but a partner, maybe someone who bakes, who decorates, if they would come on as a partner, and I kept all the liabilities, maybe we can turn it around," Tedder said.
Everyone, from the city to his landlord, have been "phenomenal." Cake orders keep coming because people love his goods, he says.
He would happily reconsider his daily menu of baked goods, and is willing to produce whatever the people will buy. So far, he's not hearing the kind of feedback that leads to bustling sales.
"Maybe it will work out; maybe it was just the wrong place, and the wrong time for me," Tedder says, looking out his front window. "I don't know what more I can do."
Eric's Main Street Bakery: 182 Main St, Nashua, NH 03060
(603) 882-2253
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
