SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – Jose Diaz, the owner of Filomena’s Pizzeria, has spent more than a decade in the pizza business. With one location in Lake Mary, Diaz expanded to downtown Sanford just over a year ago. In recent weeks, he’s found himself facing significant financial challenges.
“I’m a little upset. I feel like, man, what do you need to do?” Diaz said.
The root of the problem lies in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.
Flooding from Lake Monroe, fed by the St. Johns River, has created difficult conditions for businesses in the area.
“I got the issues from Hurricane Milton, and now everything is flooding,” Diaz said.
With rising waters and road closures, fewer customers are making it into his pizzeria.
“It’s going very slow now because people are lost,” he said.
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Barricades and detour signs are positioned around his restaurant.
“People think it’s closed because there’s no easy access to go to the marina,” Diaz said.
The impact on his bottom line has been severe.
“It hurts a lot,” Diaz said. “I don’t make enough money right now to pay the staff.”
Diaz said he has had to send employees home early, cutting their hours from 40 per week to just 20.
He has also been supplementing the Sanford location’s payroll with revenue from his Lake Mary restaurant.
“I sacrifice from my pocket,” Diaz said.
Diaz has posted graphics on Facebook to show customers where to park and flyers offering food specials in hopes of driving foot traffic back to his restaurant.
“If I don’t get the money, maybe in the future I need to close,” he said.
For now, Diaz remains hopeful that the water will recede and the roads will reopen soon, bringing customers back to his pizzeria.
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