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<\/p>\n\n \u201cThe shutdown is stifling our ability to grow,\u201d said Grant Richardson, who founded a wine import company, Pangea Selections, in 2019.\n <\/p>\n
\n Richardson can\u2019t close on a six-figure Small Business Administration loan while the federal government is shut down, but the impasse hasn\u2019t given him a break on the roughly $20,000 in tariffs that he expects to fork over this month.\n <\/p>\n
\n The entrepreneur from Austin, Texas, is still waiting to receive roughly $10,000 in business tax credits for the quarter. And he can\u2019t seal a deal with a California winemaker to launch a new product line because the government is not approving new labels for bottles during the funding lapse.\n <\/p>\n
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\n \u201cThe government is still taking money from us, but it\u2019s not paying out what it owes,\u201d he said, referring to the tax credits.\n <\/p>\n
\n The shutdown has frozen many of the government\u2019s key functions, such as lending and processing tax credits. And now without pay, hundreds of thousands of federal workers across the country have pulled back on spending, creating economic ripple effects.\n <\/p>\n
\n From restaurants in Washington, DC, to businesses around national parks, the shutdown\u2019s impact is spreading through the US economy, with no relief in sight.\n <\/p>\n
\n Sean Han, chef manager at Market to Market, a cafeteria at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, said foot traffic has declined about 20% to 30% since the government shutdown began \u2014 during a year that has already been tough because of mass federal layoffs.\n <\/p>\n
\n The business hasn\u2019t reduced employees\u2019 hours yet, he said, but that could happen \u2014 in addition to the possibility of layoffs \u2014 if the shutdown drags on for longer. With fewer customers, Han said he directed workers to focus on giving whoever comes in a better dining experience.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cWe\u2019ve been around for about 20 years, so we\u2019ve seen this before,\u201d Han said. \u201cBut it took us nine months to recover after the pandemic and we\u2019ll have to rebuild again once this ends.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n Restaurant reservations in Washington were down 9% last week compared to the same week a year earlier, according to data from OpenTable.\n <\/p>\n
\n In North Carolina, Pam Anderson is caring for only a handful of dogs at her Ocean Sands K-9 Resort in Kill Devil Hills.\n <\/p>\n
\n Some of her local clients have been calling off or shortening their vacations because the impasse has affected the national parks, or they are federal employees who are not being paid. At the same time, she is not getting any bookings from tourists, which she suspects is because the popular Wright Brothers National Memorial has shuttered.\n <\/p>\n
![\"Pam](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pamela-anderson1.jpg\")
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\n Just this week, a local family who planned to leave their two dogs with her for a few days in mid-November pulled out, which will cost her $500 in lost revenue. The couple works for the federal government.\n <\/p>\n
\n Although the kennel had a \u201crocking September,\u201d reservations are down 40% for October and 60% for November so far compared to last year, leading Anderson and her husband to tighten their belts. They have stopped going out to dinner a few times a week and are holding off on their charitable giving.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cI told my husband the other day, \u2018Don\u2019t spend any money\u2019,\u201d said Anderson, 70, who is thinking of getting a night job.\n <\/p>\n