PENDLETON — The streets are clear, the cowboys are gone and the Round-Up Grounds are dormant once again. The 2021 rodeo is over and local business owners are starting to assess what kind of financial impact the Round-Up had after canceling last year’s event.

The conventional wisdom surrounding the economy of the Round-Up is that visitors need somewhere to eat, drink and sleep when the rodeo isn’t happening, lifting all boats as tourists spread their money throughout the economy.

But the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has scrambled some of that conventional wisdom.

Joe’s Fiesta Mexican Restaurant owner Joe Meda said he had nothing to report on Round-Up week because his restaurant was closed. Meda said he decided to take the week off so he wouldn’t have to worry about enforcing the mask mandate, especially since many potential customers come from states where there are no face covering rules.

“I would either end up dead or in prison,” Meda said about the prospect of enforcing the mandate during Round-Up week.

Instead, Meda said he spent the week “sipping Coronas in California,” adding that he has no regret about passing over potential business while he kept his business dark. Even before the pandemic, Meda said business has been steadily shifting away from the area around his restaurant and rest of South Main Street and more toward Southwest Court Avenue, closer to the Round-Up Grounds.

Great Pacific Wine & Coffee manager Addison Schulberg said he commiserated with Meda ahead of Round-Up week and was a little envious of his plan.

Great Pacific did keep its 403 S. Main St. restaurant open during Round-Up week, and while the restaurant did see a boost, Schulberg said the crowds were smaller than in years past. Given the risk of spreading COVID-19, Schulberg said it wasn’t a complete letdown that the restaurant wasn’t fully packed. Although Great Pacific ceded its Main Street seating to Main Street Cowboy vendors, the restaurant was able to maintain robust outdoor seating by placing seating along the Southeast Emigrant Avenue sidewalk

While Meda was able to avoid the stresses of enforcing the mask mandate, Schulberg said getting people to comply with it was one of GP’s consistent hurdles.

“It was kind of a dark cloud on the week,” he said.

He added that the restaurant distributed masks to those without face coverings, only to see some repeat customers return later in the week without a mask again. Even though business was slower compared to past Round-Ups, Schulberg said the restaurant isn’t hanging its hat on it and will be working toward the next uptick in business during the holiday season.

Restaurants aren’t the only member of the Round-Up economy, which feeds a variety of permanent and transient businesses.

Kitty corner from Great Pacific, New York Clothier is a haberdashery that sells the kind of shirts that wouldn’t be out of place in a rodeo audience. New York Clothier co-owner Kay Davis wrote in an email that business was slower early in the week before the second half of the week saw customer levels similar to the 2019 rodeo.

“We didn’t have an expectation — the one thing the pandemic has taught us, there is no predicting,” she wrote. “We are thankful the 111th Pendleton Round-Up was able to commence and our doors were open to greet our returning customers and meet new customers. That is a blessing.”

Hotels seemed as busy as ever during Round-Up week. Bobbi McGee, the general manager of the Marigold Hotel, 105 S.E. Court Ave., said all of the building’s rooms were booked for the week. While the Marigold struggled with the demand for rooms during the Pendleton Whisky Music Fest as they faced a labor shortage, McGee said the hotel was better prepared for the rodeo.

Among the vendors in town just for Round-Up week, the results were mixed. Through Thursday of Round-Up week, Main Street vendors were reporting lower than average business but hoping for an uptick on the final two days of the rodeo.