A new survey shows that most businesses in Brooklyn are still reeling from financial challenges brought on by the pandemic. The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce is pushing for relief from the state to help those businesses get back on their feet. 

Therapy Wine Bar 2.0 owner Angela Terry says their opening was pushed back a year because of the pandemic. The bar finally opened in November, but she’s had trouble bringing in customers and keeping staff employed. 

"Being able to give people full-time hours, you know, we have to be able to put people on the part time right as much as possible. They can't get the full hours they need. We have to figure out when the money comes through the door, how to pay them by the end of the week,” says Terry. 

The Bed-Stuy bar is one of 185 businesses surveyed by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce at the end of last year. 

The study found that while the city took steps to return to normalcy, 72% of businesses continue to see slow sales compared to 2019. 

The report shows that 33% of businesses struggled to pay rent while 41% had labor shortages. 

Terry says more pandemic relief is needed for her bar to survive. 

"Give us a chance to be able to really catch up, pay what we owe, and then really flourish in the community,” says Terry. 

The chamber is now pushing for state funding to help businesses bounce back. It's hoping that businesses get the resources they need to continue being the backbone of the city’s economy.