Mount Dora restaurants say road closure for roundabout is hurting business

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.