Shutdown Delays Mexican Restaurant In Needham From Opening

NEEDHAM, MA — President Donald Trump may have temporarily reopened the federal government last Friday, but a new Mexican restaurant is still feeling the effects, according to its owners.

Pancho's Taquiera has a Dedham location and wanted to open a second restaurant at 1450 Highland Avenue in Needham. It was supposed to open its doors sometime in early March. But opening has been delayed until at least mid April because owners Carlos Chavira and Nohely Chavira-Williams could not get their $220,000 loan request processed with the Small Business Administration, which was closed during the shutdown, the Needham Times reported.

Without the loan, the owners did not have the money to continue development on the project. All they could do was plan, with no actual progress completed over the last four weeks, Chavira told the Needham Times. Now with the federal government at least temporarily reopened, Chavira said he's optimistic the loan will be processed, but hopes there are no unanticipated costs that would require more borrowing. If that happens, a second shutdown could delay opening again.

For more on this story, check out the Needham Times.

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