Small Businesses in DC area struggle to recover after 43-day government shutdown
The owner of Valleta Port in Alexandria says her revenue dropped by 40% during the nation’s longest shutdown
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — As the federal government slowly reopens after the nation’s longest shutdown, small business owners in Northern Virginia say the financial fallout is far from over.
For Svetlana Makrovskaya, owner of Valetta Port, a Mediterranean restaurant in Old Town Alexandria, the shutdown wiped out nearly half her income.
“We were just starting to build our regulars, and here we go,” Makrovskaya said.
Federal employees make up most of her weekday customer base. She says they disappeared almost overnight once the shutdown began.
“A few of them, we just stopped seeing them,” she said. “They stopped coming — lunchtime and dinnertime also.”
Makrovskaya estimates her revenue fell 40% during the 43-day shutdown. To stay afloat, she cut her operating hours to just two hours for lunch and one hour for brunch.
“It is not only me — it affects everyone,” she said. “Our employees depend on our business. It is the only income they have.”
The reduced hours led several workers to leave for more stable jobs.
Makrovskaya, who immigrated to the United States from the Czech Republic, said owning a restaurant in America had always been her dream.
“America always was my dream,” she said.
Despite the financial strain, some customers have made a point to support the restaurant.
“Lana is so wonderful and so welcoming,” customer Daniel Puls said. “The community really cares about her.”
Even with the government reopened and federal workers back on the job, Makrovskaya fears the damage is lasting. She worries the shutdown created a setback she never expected in her first year of business.
“The government shutdown — I was like, why? Why is this happening now?” she said. “It’s going to take time to get back on our feet.”
Another small business owner near Capitol Hill told WUSA9 their shop relies heavily on fall traffic to offset the slow winter months.
With the shutdown wiping out much of their busiest season, they’re unsure whether they can make up the losses.
