BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) -- To mark five years since the COVID-19 outbreak, 17 News took a deep dive into the effects of the pandemic here at home, including the economic recovery efforts. Studies show downtown Bakersfield is one of few cities nationwide to have bounced back better and stronger than before the pandemic. "We expected the impact of COVID at the outset in 2020 to really negatively hit Kern County," said CSUB Associate Professor of Economics, Dr. Richard Gearhart. CSUB Professor of Economics, Dr. Aaron Hegde added, "It was the uncertainty. Nobody knew what was happening, temporary or this." On March 4, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in California due to COVID-19. Kern County followed suit on March 16, 2020, then the City of Bakersfield on March 19. Regulations meant social distancing, masking up and businesses shutting down. "It's not so bad if you were one of the businesses that could adapt and could come back," Dr. Hegde noted. BPD asking public for help in locating missing adult Mexicali, a multi-generational family restaurant founded in 1932, was one of those businesses. "Well, when it hit, it was 'baam,' just like that. One night, we get the notice, you have to close," said Irene Ramirez, owner and manager of Mexicali. Ramirez recalled, it was all hands on deck. "We could sell our margaritas to go. That was the game changer," she remarked. Mexicali was already known for its hard-hitting margaritas, and a global pandemic did not slow that demand. "We sold as much as we did in food in margaritas," Ramirez said. "Probably, sometimes even more." One of their bartenders told 17 News he probably made thousands of their to-go mason jar margaritas. "The law [initially] said we have to have it with food. So, [customers] said then we'll have chips and hot sauce. So, they said give us some tacos, give us some burritos, and then they realized 'hey, I can get anything I want," Ramirez explained. Mexicali soon opened up outdoor dining too. "[At the City, we] closed the streets off and allowed for restaurants to open up outdoor dining," said Ward 2 City Councilmember Andrae Gonzales. Many, including 94-year-old Kenneth Blanton, Mexicali's oldest regular customer, took advantage of that. "Me and my wife and my dog, who can't come in here, but he can go in the tent," Blanton recalled of the pandemic dining days. The restaurant is still adapting, planning to sell -- for the first time -- its famous enchilada sauce. Ramirez said overall, business is better than the pre-pandemic days. Simultaneously, downtown Bakersfield has bounced back stronger than pre-pandemic days, according to a study by the University of Toronto. "Because we were working on development, working with the private sector, entrepreneurs, developers, to bring in new spaces, new amenities, new restaurants," explained Councilmember Gonzales. Gonzales represented downtown before, during and now after COVID. He credits the resilience of businesses but also the revitalization of downtown -- making it an urban core with businesses, restaurants, bars, cafes and homes placed within a small vicinity. "Walkability is a key factor," Dr. Gearhart said of downtown's success. Gonzales specified, "You can park your car, and you can literally walk to an underground bar, you can go to a Tulum-inspired patio, go to a Tiki bar…you can do all these different things in one night in downtown Bakersfield." And Dr. Hegde noted, "As [people] come into the downtown area and foot traffic increases more, you've got more people and more spending, so then the downtown becomes more vibrant than it was, let's say before the pandemic." Hegde also said our population has trended younger post-COVID. As many were forced to return home, they ended up settling down and building families locally. "Historically, the younger population has left, right? So, either go away for college, or after college, go away for job opportunities." And, Hegde said, it's these folks taking advantage of downtown housing. "17th Place Townhomes, The Cue, 918, there's another 85 units on the way. So, that also contributes to what we call that 24-hour downtown," Gonzales said. Gonzales further explained that the City continues to push its Economic Opportunity Area program, encouraging businesses to settle downtown. "We have invested over $3.4 million in downtown and in Old Town Kern over the last three to four years in grants to over 75 businesses and property owners within the downtown and Old Town Kern area," Gonzales said. He noted the moving of larger businesses such as Community Action Partnership of Kern (CAPK) has been helpful. "The whole economic engine of a county, of a city, is the small businesses," Gearhart added. ...read more read less