RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Days after a winter storm swept through Central Virginia, lingering ice continues to coat streets, creating a setback for some Richmond area businesses while sending demand soaring for others. For local restaurants, hazardous roads have meant fewer customers and disrupted d eliveries. In Carytown, Ashley Cricchio, owner of Chewy’s Bagels, said the storm delivered a significant hit to sales. “We were closed on Sunday last week, which is our biggest day of the week for us,” Cricchio said. “And then between Wednesday and Thursday, we’ve seen between a 30% to 50% reduction in sales, which is pretty significant for a small business.” Many Richmond businesses close as part of nationwide general strike against recent ICE actions Cricchio said the packed ice in several neighborhoods has made it difficult for employees to get to work and also delayed ingredient deliveries. She said the disruption echoes challenges the business faced during last year’s water crisis, which left residents across the city of Richmond and multiple surrounding counties with little to no water following the first winter storm of 2025. Ice surrounds vehicles parked along South Belmont Avenue in Richmond. (Photo: 8News) “It’s the second January in a row where we’ve had kind of some critical hits to already a post-holiday season that [can] be a little rough,” she said. With up to two inches of snow expected in Richmond this weekend, Cricchio has already scaled back production. “We’ve reduced what we expect to sell, and we’re waiting to see what the snow does, to see if we also need to adjust, like, our hours of operation,” she said. While some businesses are struggling, others are seeing a boom. For landscapers and snow-removal crews, the thick ice has triggered nonstop calls. Timothy Crawford, owner of Cutshaw Landscapes, said calls from elderly residents and local businesses have kept him working around the clock. Landscaper, Timothy Crawford helps friend free car from thick ice. (Photo: 8News) “I’ve never had this many requests for my services,” Crawford said. “This is a dead time of the year for landscapers, so in a way, this has kind of been a blessing for me as a business owner because I’m getting way more work than I would have anticipated, typically.” Crawford was spotted helping a friend free a car trapped in ice. Although the storm has taken a toll on many, he says community support has brought some warmth in the bitter cold. “Everybody’s helping each other out the best we can,” he said. “And that has been kind of the light amongst all this that I’ve been appreciating.” ...read more read less