NORTH BAY VILLAGE, FLA. (WSVN) - North Bay Village has reached out to help five local businesses that are struggling during the coronavirus pandemic, in the form of small grants.
Some businesses in North Bay Village have closed their doors for good, whereas others are temporarily shut down.
“They’re struggling for the first time in many, many years,” said North Bay Village Mayor Brent Latham as he referred to Oggi’s Restaurant, an Italian cuisine staple located along the John F. Kennedy Causeway.
The challenges that Oggi’s and other businesses face reflect what much of the country is going through due to the spread of COVID-19, and that’s why Latham decided to lend a helping hand.
On Thursday, the town gave $500 to Oggi’s manager Andres Merro to help the restaurant stay afloat.
“It’s been difficult to us. This is crazy. This is insane,” said Merro.
These micro-grants were given to Oggi’s and four other businesses in North Bay Village to help them enhance their outdoor dining areas and increase safety measures.
“I want to thank Mayor Brent. He’s the one who stepped up and said, ‘OK, we’ve got to do something. We’ve got to help the restaurants. We’ve got to help the businesses,'” said Merro.
While the boost is a help, Latham said they’re limited in what they can do and are looking to the county for assistance.
“Our businesses can’t wait. They can’t wait a matter of months, a matter of years to get the support that they need that is sitting now at the county level waiting to be distributed,” he said.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.