A family owned hardware store is keeping its shelves well-stocked with essential items during the pandemic.

The owners of Hardware 2.0 tell News 12 they have actually seen an influx of customers, some of who are brand new customers.

The Prospect Heights store has been stocked with masks, hand sanitizer and gloves during the pandemic.

Owner Jitu Maat says the store gave away those critical items to essential workers for free.

"You get a couple free masks, free hand sanitizer, we even, just honestly, are very thankful that we could stay open during the entire pandemic and we had a lot of empathy for other people working hard and risking their lives, and it wasn’t just for health care workers, it was all front-line workers. Even the delivery men when they came in here," says Maat.

During the past few months, Maat says the business has noticed a shift in the type of customer it typically sees. Staff believes this is because a lot of people are staying home.

"A lot of our stuff has switched to stuff to help people do projects at home because a lot of people have more free time. So, everyone is trying to paint that deck or that bathroom or fix that little thing they’ve been trying to get to for a long time," says Maat.

The hardware store also has procedures in place to avoid any transmission of COVID-19.

"Social distancing, especially at the checkout, so we have strips on the ground designating how far it is and then at the beginning and the end of the day we disinfect all the common services. Then we have free gloves when people come in, and then we have free hand sanitizer when people come in,” says Maat.

The Atlantic Avenue shop continues to look at new ways to entice customers including adding in demand products such as plants and paint to its inventory.