(Photo by Camila Escobar)
ORLANDO | Ivanhoe Village restaurant The Hammered Lamb has been forced to close twice a week due to the impact that the ongoing pipeline construction along N. Orange Ave. has had on its business.
The Ivanhoe Village website states that the City of Orlando Public Works Department began their sanitary sewage project in September 2023.
The project is expected to be broken up into five phases over the span of 15 months.
Jason Lambert, owner of The Hammered Lamb, says the construction has severely hindered his business.
“2023 was the best year we were ever having, we were setting record numbers the first nine months of the year. And as soon as construction started, like the day they started shutting the street down, our sales just started plummeting,” Lambert says. We’ve been down anywhere from 30 to 50% a week, every week, for almost a year now.”
Lambert posted on Facebook Sept. 3 about how the construction and slow business has caused the restaurant to now close on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
“Those are two slowest days, and we’re just losing more money. I mean, the staff just stands around because we just don’t get anybody out,” says Lambert.
The Hammered Lamb is not the only business to have been affected. Multiple establishments along Orange Ave. have also lost costumers due to the construction.
Lambert says the Lucky Lure, which has been at its location for years, has been struggling a lot as well over the construction.
The business’ biggest challenge is the lack of customers, largely driven by parking difficulties.
“You know, we used to have a really good lunch crowd, and now everyone has found new places to go because they couldn’t even get here,” Lambert says. “It’s like we’re starting all over again now, after being here for 12 years, we’re starting all over to try to build clientele back up, and then when they ask where to park , we don’t have any place to tell them.”
Although the city warned local business owners about the construction project, Lambert says they did not expect the huge negative impact it would have and the lack of city support.
“The worst is it just doesn’t seem like really anyone at the city even cares,” Lambert says. “You know, that’s one of the big things that they’ve preached about for years is ‘pro small business.’ You want to help small businesses and and when most of the businesses around here have supported most of the people that are in office right now too, and it’s just kind of a punch in the face, you know.”
Lambert is hoping, through a social media campaign and hosting planned fundraising events, to let people know that The Hammered Lamb is still open even if it may not look like it when you pass by.
“I just want people to just come out and not forget that all these small businesses are here and even though they’re frustrated with the parking and they can’t find it, you can Uber down and spend the afternoon or spend the evening here and hit up three or four other places,” says Lambert.
The Hammered Lamb hosts several specialty events to drive the customers in including weekend drag brunches, Thursdays Trivia, occasional Bingo nights and more. The eatery is also receiving support from local groups and drag queens planning to put together fundraisers to sustain the restaurant’s operations and keep its nearly 35 workers employed.
“None of us are the kind of people that like begging for handouts but we’re just trying to keep our doors open,” he says. “It’s tough because we’re just trying to keep all of our employees working.”
The Hammered Lamb is located at 1235 N. Orange Ave. in Orlando. It is open Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays from 11 a.m.-12 a.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m.-2 a.m.
