'Beyond frustrating': Shutdown puts taco business expansion on hold

The federal government shutdown is preventing a Long Island business owner from expanding.

News 12 Staff

Jan 9, 2019, 5:34 PM

Updated 2,158 days ago

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The federal government shutdown is preventing a Long Island business owner from expanding.
Marc Lamaina owns two taco shops: Lucharitos in Greenport and Little Lucharitos in Aquebogue.
He's trying to open a third location on Montauk Highway in Center Moriches. But because of the shutdown, the final loan approval is sitting on a desk at the Small Business Administration, which operates under the federal government. Lamaina says the loan is approved and everything is ready -- he just needs a signature.
"It's beyond frustrating at this point," Lamaina says. "We have 10 employees who we are waiting to move over to Center Moriches. So we have to move them into Greenport and Aquebogue."
Lamaina says it's also frustrating for the workers who are waiting to complete the plumbing and contracting work at the new location.
If the loan is finalized, Lamaina says work on the new restaurant could start in as few as two weeks.
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