State offers help to businesses hit hard by winter

A snow mound still towers over the Four Winds Pub and Grill, but owner Patrick DeBoever is looking beyond early spring to summer when his outdoor business overlooking Sluice Pond will fill Four Winds and boost his staff from 16 to 30 employees.?My business quadruples in the summertime,” DeBoever said.Along with small businesses across the region, Four Winds lost business in late January and February as blizzard after blizzard rolled across New England. A Retailers Association of Massachusetts survey quoted by the State House Service found restaurant and retail businesses saw a 49 percent sales drop in February.More than 1,600 restaurants responded to the survey.DeBoever closed his business for five days during the winter onslaught, in part to keep his workers and customers from risking the roads during a storm. John Ingalls, owner of Palmer?s Restaurant in Marblehead, also closed for several days during February?That was a big hit,” he said.Ingalls said Palmer?s benefited from its location in the center of a town where walking is an easy way to get around. Even with bad weather, DeBoever said Four Winds customers braved the snow and ice to eat and drink at the Four Winds.?I know other businesses that were harder hit,” DeBoever said.To help those businesses, the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation offers loans ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 available through May. The loans must be paid back over three years, but Massachusetts Growth waives principal payment for the loan?s first six months.A limited number of businesses are not eligible for the loans, including real estate investment, firearms and adult entertainment businesses.The Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce and Revere Mayor Daniel Rizzo urged businesses that closed or saw a drop in customers during the winter to apply for state snow loans.?As of this time, we are unaware of any of our members taking advantage of this opportunity,” said Chamber President/CEO Leslie Gould.With storms hitting on Sundays and Mondays, Blue Ox owner Matt O?Neil said his Oxford Street restaurant took less of a winter hit than if the storms had fallen on Friday or Saturday.O?Neil, DeBoever and Ingalls said they probably will not apply for the loans. Rossetti?s Restaurant owner Bobby Rossetti also anticipates recuperating from winter business losses without a loan.?I?m trying to get by without taking on additional loans; it?s nice to get the money, but you have to pay it back,” Rossetti said.Rossetti recovered lost business on Valentine?s Day – a Saturday when yet another storm loomed on the horizon. Palmer?s owner Ingalls said his outdoor seating will bring customers to his restaurant in droves – after the weather warms up.?Unfortunately, March is a slow month,” Ingalls said.