ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – St. Augustine road construction is causing headaches for more than just drivers. Local businesses along Ponce de Leon Boulevard say the ongoing work is taking a toll on their sales.
Angelina Del Rosso, owner of Nauti Girls Seafood Company, said her business has suffered since construction began.
“If this continues, I’m probably gonna close in like the next month or so. Honestly,” Del Rosso said.
Nauti Girls Seafood Company opened about five months ago and initially saw booming business. But as construction moved down the boulevard, sales dropped sharply.
“Thousands of dollars,” Del Rosso estimated when asked how much her business has declined. “I’ve wasted a lot of product because my shelf life on my fish is three days maximum.”
Del Rosso focuses on sourcing fish from local commercial fishermen. The construction has also frustrated her customers.
“A couple of my regulars come in, and they just always complain about how much of a pain it is to get in and out of my location because of the construction and all the high traffic right here,” she said.
After posting on Facebook about the challenges, Del Rosso saw some increase in foot traffic. Still, she worries the boost may be temporary.
“I’m just worried that it’s going to be my 15 minutes of fame, and then I’m going to go right back down to where I was,” she said.
Other nearby businesses are feeling the pinch as well. Jeff Miles, owner of Hurricane Patty’s, said sales are down 35 to 40 percent compared to last year.
“As you can look in a restaurant, we don’t have a ton of people right now,” Miles said. “This is abnormal for us this time of year. Usually, we would be full. I wouldn’t say we’d be on a wait, but we would be full right now.”
Customers frequently complain about the traffic and difficulty turning into the restaurant.
“I probably shouldn’t repeat what they say, but it just, they get aggravated trying to turn into the restaurant,” Miles said.
Despite the slowdown, Hurricane Patty’s plans to stay open.
“We’ve weathered a lot worse, so we’ll be here for the long term,” Miles said.
But for Nauti Girls Seafood Company, the future is uncertain.
“If you’re a fan of seafood, I got plenty, and just help my dreams stay alive. Help my fishermen’s dreams stay alive and support local,” Del Rosso urged.
News4JAX reached out to the Florida Department of Transportation about the impact of the construction on local businesses and is awaiting a response.
