Several businesses along Eudora Road, 19A and Old U.S. Highway 441 in Lake County say ongoing roundabout construction is driving away customers and cutting into sales, prompting county commissioners to consider a grant program to help offset losses.
The project has disrupted traffic near businesses for more than a month, with detours, blocked parking areas and heavy equipment making it harder for customers to get in and out. Some owners say the impact has been severe enough that they have cut hours and laid off employees.
At the Magical Meat Boutique, co-owner Phil Barnard said the loss of drive-by traffic has been especially damaging.
“The drive-by has gone right down, including our lunchtime business,” Barnard said. “We used to get a lot of workers come in for their lunches. Now they got to do a detour. They can’t get here on a straight shot.”
The business owner says it’s lost near half (42%) of its sales since construction began, according to owners.
Nearby, King’s Donuts of Mount Dora is dealing with similar challenges. Construction has blocked part of the parking lot, and equipment has taken up space near the front of the business.
“My sales dropped almost between 40 to 45% on the weekday,” said Dararithy Kea, of King’s Donuts. “We used to bring more customer coming in, but due to heavy equipment they cannot coming in.”
Lake County officials are now exploring a limited grant program that could help businesses recover some of the money they have lost during construction. The idea is still in the proposal stage, but business owners say any assistance could help them stay open until the roadwork is complete.
“That’s great. That’s awesome,” Kea said of the potential grant program. “It’s going to get us by because I have to let people go.”
The county has also posted signs along nearby roads reminding drivers that businesses in the area remain open. Owners said the signs have helped make people aware, but have not made up for the drop in customers.
The roundabout project is expected to continue into next year. County officials said there is no timeline for staff to return to the board with an update, but they plan to keep talking with business owners about the potential grant program.