MOUNT DORA, Fla. – Restaurant owners near a major road construction project in Lake County say a closure along Old U.S. Highway 441 is cutting into sales and forcing them to reduce hours and staffing.
The closure is tied to a county project to build a roundabout at a nearby intersection. The project is intended to improve safety in an area where nearly 100 crashes have been recorded over the past decade.
But some business owners say the construction is making it difficult for customers to reach them.
Phil Barnard and Kate Bellamy, co-owners of Magical Meat Boutique in Mount Dora, said sales are down 42% since construction began. They said the impact has been especially difficult after they spent thousands of dollars moving out of downtown and opening the new location last year.
“We were relying on a lot of drive-by traffic, with 15,000 cars recorded going past here each day,” Barnard said. “It was a factor of us purchasing the building last year after spending 12 years downtown.”
Bellamy said the restaurant has shortened its hours and cut staff to stay open during what owners fear could be a yearlong closure.
“We’ve had to lay off two of our part-time employees, and then any of our employees that work Monday through Friday lost those shifts,” Bellamy said. “So they’ve become part-time. And it’s been incredibly sad for us.”
Nearby, Dora Cafe is also surrounded by construction. Owner Adalberto Yanez said he has adjusted his hours because business has slowed.
“Look at me right now. That’s empty,” Yanez said. “If things keep doing like that, I’m not going to survive. So I will try to do whatever I can to stay alive.”
The roundabout project will bring more traffic changes starting in January. Construction is not expected to be completed until next summer.
Restaurant owners have sent a letter to Lake County commissioners asking them to find a way to help businesses survive while the work continues.
Bellamy said she supports the idea of a roundabout but wants the county to consider the impact on nearby businesses.
“I do think that the roundabout is important. I’m a big fan of them. I think they’re safe,” she said. “I just think you have to look at how you do things around it to not impact the businesses that are close.”
The restaurant owners said the county told them it plans to put signs at blocked-off roads showing drivers how to reach the businesses.
The station reached out to Lake County about its plans to help businesses during construction. Updates will be provided when the county responds.
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