U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., has started his efforts to highlight how the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) has helped small businesses in his district, which runs along the Atlantic coast from St. Johns County to Volusia County.
On Monday, Waltz showcased Pat’s Riverfront Café in Port Orange and Norwood’s Eatery and Treehouse Bar in New Smyrna Beach which both received PPP funds.
“If it would not have been for the PPP, there would’ve been no way that I could’ve re-opened after we were allowed to,” said Pat Snead, the owner of Pat’s Riverfront Café.
“We rehired over 75 people who had been furloughed on March 18,” noted Pamela Simmons, the owner of Norwood’s Eatery and Treehouse Bar. “The reopening has saved our business, as well as the PPP loan.”
“Our small businesses are what make our community so special and unique – and that’s why Congress acted to ensure we could help them during the coronavirus pandemic,” said Waltz. “I’m so glad to hear these positive stories and am looking forward to hearing more from our local businesses as they continue to get back on their feet.”
Waltz pointed to statistics from the U.S. Treasury Department and the Small Business Administration (SBA) showing the 11,000 PPP loans that businesses received in his district have saved almost 83,000.
Reach Kevin Derby at kevin.derby@floridadaily.com.
