By CATHY JETT
FOR THE FREE LANCE-STAR
The owner of a Spotsylvania County restaurant says she wouldnât still be in business without the latest round of loans through the federal governmentâs Paycheck Protection Program.
Tisha Johnson applied for and received a PPP loan last year, which helped keep her Orleans Bistro & Grill in Southpoint Plaza alive.
Revenue had plummeted from $20,000 to $3,000 a week after Gov. Ralph Northam ordered restaurants last April to drastically reduce the number of patrons allowed inside.
âThatâs nothing when youâre paying $6,000 a month for rent and you still have all of your other bills,â she said. âIt was very difficult. We did nowhere near enough business to survive what we were hit with, and it was unexpected. It left us as restaurant owners in a very tight situation.â