PORT ORANGE, Fla. — The first day of hurricane season is here and businesses owners are getting ready. For many, this season will be different from those they've weathered in the past.


What You Need To Know

  • Financial strain from COVID-19 leaving business owner less financially prepared

  • Owner of Aunt Catfish says he's still feeling financial impact of Hurricane Dorian

  • The restaurant has been a Port Orange staple for 42 years

Aunt Catfish's On the River in Port Orange is no stranger to hurricanes. This hurricane season they’re keeping a closer watch on the horizon, as recovery from any potential storms this year could be more difficult than ever before because of coronavirus.

Owner Brendan Galbreath remembers the damage Hurricane Dorian did to his restaurant nine months after it hit. The storm shut them down for only four days, but he’s still feeling the financial impact.

“Just from a sales perspective, a loss of sales… easily $100,000 with the slow businesses coming in, the closure and coming out slow business, and then repairs—  you could easily put $40,000 to $50,000 on that, so it’s easy to put $150,000 on the whole number,” Galbreath said.

Now that the first day of hurricane season is here again, Galbreath is hoping they can hang on.

“It's going to be active, and we are all wondering where they are going to go,” he said.

While his 42-year-old restaurant has weathered many storms, they’re now in the middle of one no amount of shutters could have protected them from.

“We are going to be entering this hurricane season much less prepared financially than we would have without COVID,“ Galbreath said.

Thanks to COVID-19, the restaurant closed down for 5 weeks. Even now, Galbreath says they’re only at 50% capacity, with sales way down.  That is why, more than ever, he’s hoping  for only clear skies ahead.

“We need a break more than ever,” said Galbreath.

Galbreath said he is confident that his restaurant and staff will make it through a hurricane. However, he believes because of COVID-19, this time around they may have to go into debt to handle any damage, which he says they’ve never had to do before.

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