this is "nightline." >> tonight, back to business. during the pandemic. we're back with the entrepreneurs fighting to get back on track in two different states. >> i'm just hope weing we get through this month, make some income before we have to close down again. >> could the surge of cases break the bank? >> should we make it through another shutdown, i think it's going to be extremely tough. >> plus, massive rollout, racing to keep shelves stocked after unprecedented panic for toilet paper. >> looking at these rolls, i feel a little bit like "ant man." >> yeah, they're huge. >> could there be another squeeze on supply? >> "nightline" starts right now

with juju chang. >> good evening. thanks for joining us. at least 21 states have reversed or paused reopening, but what does that mean for small businesses looking to survive the pandemic? tonight we return to the stories of entrepreneurs from two different parts of america and what ten weeks of the outbreak reveal. >> reporter: it's reopening day in brooklyn for sarah june hair salon. >> hi, how's it going? i'm going to take your temperature. >> reporter: for 108 days. >> 98.1. >> reporter: sara gilmore's popular salon was shut down due to covid-19. >> my usually bustling salon on a saturday is pretty empty. >> reporter: now sarah is back in, trying to navigate a business in the new pandemic world. >> my business is small. and we can only fit two client downstairs and two or three clients upstairs, and we used to be able to fit ten time.

>> reporter: halfway across the country, in temple, texas, stores here at pecan plaza have been open for months. but now, with coronavirus cases soaring in texas, business owners are worried. how closely are you watching these numbers? >> very closely. >> yeah, we're watching that every day. >> as you see, it's empty. used to be full, lunchtime, dinner, but now i'm afraid it's going to get worse. >> reporter: small business, the backbone of the american economy, in two states. new york and texas, offering two vastly different views of the difficulties entrepreneurs across the country are facing. new york city, initially the epicenter of the pandemic here, enforcing full shutdowns. slowly, painstakingly opening its doors for business. and in the heart of texas, one of the last states to close down, and among the first to reopen, not grappling with surging covid cases and the prospects of a new wave of closures.

three months ago, at the peak of the virus's devastating impact on new york state, we visited park slope, brooklyn, it hit an eclectic neighborhood that was almost completely closed. sarah will to get creative,crea, mixing hair dyes and kits. she was in the middle of paying off $80,000 in debt she paid for an expansion before having to shutdown. she was worried she might not survive. >> we need a more flexible loan. be able to use the loan towards things that we actually need. we might be able to pivot our business somehow. >> reporter: today, she is open, but the social distancing requirements and other covid regulations weigh heavily on sara's shoulders. >> day to day, the emotional toll is great. but owning a business is such a

mantle to carry no matter what. this has just been a different mantle and a new mantle that is a lot of work. >> reporter: a few blocks away, zuzu's petals was also hit hard. >> we've been closed since march 22nd. >> reporter: she first opened her doors in the early '70s. >> my store is named after a little girl in the movie "it's a wonderful life." >> reporter: fonda has overcome numerous financial challenges. >> our first major problem was in probably 1987, when the real estate market fell apart. 9/11 was a challenge. hurricane sandy, also, was a big blow to the business, but nothing in my experience measures up to this. >> you're going to need two more roses. >> reporter: she reopened in may, but only for of pickup and contact-free deliveries. >> there was no question that we

were going to open general. you don't walk away from something you've built for 49 years. >> reporter: her business is starting to bloom again, although slowly. >> we are making about 50% of what we would normally take in. >> reporter: but her bills are the same as when she was making twice as much. >> the nugget that is going to make or break us is the rent that we owe for leases that we signed during a totally different economic period. i signed a lease four years ago with a totally different business model. and a totally different business climate. and that climate and that economy is gone. >> reporter: while, she can have customers inside, she said they aren't set up to do that safely, however, she's committed to keep going. >> it's not a question of being optimistic or pes musimistic, i insisting that i'm not going to go out of business. this is just another challenge, a tough one. part of what makes it less difficult is that i feel like i'm not alone and that it's a

universal experience for all small business. >> hello, beautiful store! >> reporter: boutique owner, diana kane english shares fonda's concern. if you can't make rent, what happens? >> if i can't make rent, i will close. that's what happens. i will close. i will liquidate. i could go down after 18 years, because i'm closed for two months. that's not okay. >> reporter: her fear became a reality just a few weeks later. she had to close down her store. >> i would say in early, mid april it became clear that there wasn't going to be relief long enough and fast enough. there was no out. >> reporter: she thinks the government programs could have been structured better to help the little guy. >> it's been really hard, and so many other people have it as hard or harder, and like, women and minority-owned businesses are getting hit so hard. and i really, i really wish

people would take a look and see if that's an acceptable collateral damage to what's going on. because i don't think it is. i just don't think it is. >> reporter: her only business now is online. >> people put their heart and soul into their businesses. and at the end of the day, we don't really have anything to show for it, and we didn't have anybody who had our back. >> reporter: while new york state has the virus under control for now, the case count is increasing in 37 other states. texas with over 210,000 reported cases. >> hi, emily! >> reporter: we first met amy thomas and her husband lloyd in april, the owners of pecan plaza in that strip mall north of austin. pecan plaza welcomed customers for pickup service while many others in new york were still shuttered. >> we're so excited about seeing our customers. we're so excited about seeing our friends. >> reporter: amywn

zuti's, a clothing and embroidery store. >> you want to see the cash register? i think we have three cents now. if anything our parents taught us, we're not quitters. >> reporter: at that point she was optimistic they would bounce back. do you think you can recoup what you've lost? >> absolutely. >> yes. >> absolutely. >> check back with us in a few years, and i promise you -- >> i tell you what, you check back with me in a few months. >> reporter: okay. so you invited us back. so here we are. >> yes. >> reporter: ten weeks later, amy and lloyd's hopefulness has been tempered by realism. >> dr. abbott and his team have all been trying to figure out, how do we balance this? safety, practice safety as well as being able to keep open the business. >> and unfortunately, for all of our elected officials, there's not a manual to go by for this.

>> reporter: right, but i remind you that epidemiologists warned governor abbott and others that perhaps they were opening too quickly. >> this is true, yeah. >> reporter: while most of pecan's plaza businesses are doing well, joe's pizza and pasta is struggling. he says customers are wary. >> it's really hard to do business, yeah. and the people are scared. i don't blame them for being scared. we try to do the best, but you never know. >> reporter: the restaurant can only seat at 50% capacity inside. >> it takes two, three months. that's all my savings gone, so. >> that is the story of small business. yes, we are doing whatever we can to stay afloat, but i hope, with all this, people realize how important it is to shop

within your community. we do our best to support everyone. we hope everyone supports us as well. >> reporter: for other stores in pecan plaza, is slo getting back to normal. you were very optimistic when we last spoke. >> i'm still very, very optimistic. we've really gotten people back into the shop. part of that reason is they do feel safe, because it is a smaller environment. and we practice social distancing. we will wear masks. i'm still very, very optimistic. >> how are you? >> it's been so long! >> i know. >> reporter: back in brooklyn, hairstylist, sara gilbert also has reason to be hopeful. >> within this industry, everyone needs their hair cut. no matter what, when we opened, it was going to be slammed. so we are slammed for this month. i'm just hoping we get through this month, make some income before anything has to close down again. >> reporter: it's that fighting spirit now fueling so many small

businesses across the country. >> we're holding on for dear life. we're trying hard. we're doing what we need to do to open. we'll ride the storm. we'll see what happens. we'll give it our best. >> ready? and coming up next, cleaning up the toilet paper aisle. what it takes to stock up during the pandemic. so i'm gonna hold on promoting you this quarter. cool? drop the taco. get in the car. does this sentra feel like a compromise to you? wait, what...? the handling is good, right? no compromise there. nope! watch this... umm... b-brie...brie brie! rear automatic braking. so if this nissan sentra isn't gonna compromise, why should you? you're right! atta girl. the all-new nissan sentra. with more standard safety features than any other car in its class. with more standard safety features ((cat 2) flook at that!! (cat 1) it's made with real farm-raised chicken! (cat 2) i gotta get my paws on that! (cat 1) it's friskies farm favorites! (cat 2) the winning farm-ula.

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it's been called the white gold of the pandemic, a product so valuable and so essential, it's fueled fights in retailers across the globe. now the behind the scenes look at a massive rollout operation to keep toilet paper stocked in stores. here's clayton sandell. >> reporter: looks like we're in a canyon surrounded by paper towels. >> one item no one can find is toilet paper. >> reporter: as the covid-19 cases and specter of staying at home orders came to a head, americans became tp horders.

>> first thing that went through my mind, we have to get to costco a get as much toilet paper as we can. >> reporter: u.s. toilet paper companies cranked out 700,000 tons of product alone in march. >> when you think you're going to be locked in your house for a long time, there are certain things you want, there was nothing irrational about people wanting to make sure they had a stock of toilet paper. >> reporter: it's linked to a psychological concept of scarcity. they see something running out and they run out to buy it for themselves, making the product disappearhanupiers n make it. now that case rise around the country, we go behind the scenes with a tp prepper. >> empty shelves, it's all here. >> we're getting it out as fast as we can. >> reporter: box elder, utah, a town with just over 55,000

residents, producing toilet paper for millions at this procter & gamble factory, taking no chances. we just came in the building. we had to use hand sanitizer, what do we do next? >> everyone coming inside has to have their temperature scanned every day. >> reporter: i have to get mine taken. >> we'll get yours as well. >> reporter: we're good to go. have you gotten used to it yet? >> every day, it's a bit of an adventure, you forget that it's there, but the breath of fresh air at the end of the day when you take the mask off reminds you how not-normal it is. >> reporter: we hit the factory floor in may where they are rolling out rolls of toilet paper and paper towels, 24 hours a day seven days a week. >> that's intended to keep people isolated and separated. if someone gets sic sic

>> reporter: here is where it toilet paper begins as a dry paper pulp. this is the beginning of the process really, right? >> yes. >> reporter: think of it basically like a big blender. this is it, huh? >> yeah. >> reporter: kind of feels like wet toilet paper. >> exactly. >> reporter: it is pressed and dried into super size rolls that look like giant movie props. i feel a little like "ant man." >> they're huge. we'll unroll big rolls and cut them into bounty or charmin. we convert big rolls into the finished product. >> reporter: so all of that paper has gone from those giant rolls and finally now been cut into something we recognize. kay devo is a technician here and has made product for 20 years, but the lockdown lifestyle look and feels completely different. there's a whole different process just for getting in the building. >> that process makes me feel

safe at work. it is a process to go through, but i feel we spend the time sanitizing, looking out for each other, we're distancing. >> reporter: yes. >> so that in itse is a good thing. >> reporter: the pace to produce is non-stop. jared kent helps keep everything running. >> we'll take two of those rolls and bring them together, make them together, and then that makes it our two-ply product. >> reporter: that's how you make two-ply toilet paper. >> yes, exactly. >> reporter: competition in the toilet paper industry is fierce, even as companies are racing to roll out more product, procter & gamble told us they slowed down our machines when we arrived so their competitors won't know just how fast they can produce. did you ever think in a pandemic toilet paper was going to be the one thing people couldn't get? >> never in my wildest dreams. >> reporter: how does it feel to be replenish being ting the sup?

>> feels good. we're doing our part. >> reporter: if covid numbers continue to spike, toilet paper companies will just have to roll with it. this can always come back. whether it's on medicines, staple paper goods, a whole bunch of things that are storable and people think they are going to need or they're anticipating there's going to be high demand for. >> reporter: clayton sandell, in box elder, utah. >> our thanks to clayton. up next, delivering three little blessings after one mom's fight for her life. with covid-19. here's another cleaning tip from mr. clean. cleaning tough bathroom and kitchen messes with sprays and wipes can be a struggle. there's an easier way. try mr. clean magic eraser. just wet, squeeze and erase tough messes like bathtub soap scum... and caked-on grease from oven doors. now mr. clean magic eraser comes in disposable sheets. they're perfect for icky messes on stovetops...

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and finally tonight, three times the smiles. this is announced they were having two boy boys and a girl. she checked into the hospital at 28 weeks, but her stay was anything but routine, testing

positive for covid-19. luckily, as the babies were delivered eight weeks premature, maggie tested negative for the coronavirus. isabella, nathaniel and audreyal, all born covid-19-free. >> make sure you are showing them love and support, let them know that they are not alone in this. >> triple the joy. that's "nightline" for tonight. you can watch our full episodes on hundr on hulu. goodnight, america. >> dicky: from hollywood, it's "jimmy kimmel live" with anthony anderson. tonight, d.l. hughley, and bubba wallace, and now, anthony anderson! >> anthony: hello and welcome to "jimmy kimmel live."

my name is anthony anderson. this is my second night in a row guest hosting the show. i actually do a lot here on abc. i'm on "black-ish," "to tell the truth," and for the past 11 years, i've been playing the role of george stephanopolis on "good morning america." i have to be honest, i'm feeling a little sentimental tonight. we looked it up, and this is my 41st appearance on this show. it was sweet, the staff gave me a cake today with candles and everything. but then i blew on it and we had to throw it away. y'all could have let me eat the damn cake myself. this is the worst summer in recorded history and continues to roll on. i remember the old days when having a bad summer just meant you sat in poison ivy. in 2020, itchy ass is your best case scenario. remember that movie, "i know what you did last summer?" they should make one about this