The owner of Josh's Deli, Josh Marcus, said 2020 was already a tough year for him. Then, the collapse of the Champlain Towers.
"The right thing to do is unknown. As a business owner you just want to survive and try to make it to the other side," said Marcus.
Closed roads and just the overall fear of being around the site slowed down business.
"The roads just re-opened on Tuesday so for the week and a half prior there was nothing. No business," he said.
"The area has been controlled by local authorities. Normal access to these businesses have been restricted on top of what they were experiencing due to COVID," said Roberto Baltodano Public Affairs Apecialist with the Small Business Administration.
As a result of the economic damage, the Department of Economic Opportunity and the SBA are bringing aid directly to Surfside business owners.
Baltodano said dozens of small businesses have applied for a loan.
"The economic injury loan is in essence working capital for them to be able to maintain those commitments that would keep the business operating. The lease, equipment, their employees, buying the goods they need to sell. That’s what we offer them," said Baltodano.
Marcus said he already took out a loan during the pandemic, but he’s considering taking out another one to help pay his employees and to be able to continue to donate sandwiches to first responders.
Marcus has donated about 600 sandwiches.
"All I can do is focus on helping and then later on I can tell you how I feel because I don’t know," said Marcus.
Loan applications can be downloaded from sba.gov/disaster
