WATCH: Hispanic Restaurant Owner Thanks Biden Administration for Boosting Small Businesses

“We do believe the economy is growing stronger every single day. We do see that with the help of all the Democrats and our President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, it’s really made a difference for our business.”

“At the bottom line. President Biden’s American Rescue Plan and economic agenda is working.”

In recognition of Small Business Week, Helio Bernal — Owner of The Real Mexican Vittles and D Boca N Boca in Atlanta — released a video today praising President Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress for delivering critical relief to small businesses across Georgia in the American Rescue Plan. In the video, Helio underlined the difficulties local businesses like his have faced throughout the past 17 months and emphasized how the President’s American Rescue Plan was a game-changer for Main Street businesses.

Since day one in office, President Biden has focused on providing America’s small businesses with the tools and resources they need to reopen, rehire, and rebuild. To date, the Biden-Harris Administration has delivered more than $300 billion in relief for local businesses like Helio’s and is on track to fully forgive more than 6 million small business loans by year-end.

Watch the full video here.

Read the full transcript below.

• Hey, good afternoon. My name is Helio Bernal, I am the founder and owner of The Real Mexican Vittles and D Boca N Boca — two Mexican restaurants that thrive in the city of Atlanta, right in the heart. 
• When COVID-19 hit, you know, we were pretty sure there was a lot of small business owners, a lot of fellow co-workers that we had no idea what was gonna happen. We had no idea where we’re gonna head to, what we were gonna run into. We only knew that we wanted to keep our doors open, and our entire full dreams were in complete Jeopardy. 
• Thankfully, we made it through the year. It was tough, but with our neighbors, our community, everyone rallied and, you know, we were able to surpass that. 
• It was the same community that joined us in going all out to elect Joe Biden. Kamala Harris, Jon Ossoff, Raphael Warnock and all the Democratic representatives that helped lead us out of the economic crisis. 
• The stakes were very high. You know, as a small business owner, to kind of see that your dreams are about to be crushed…  that is something we we fear. That is something that you see before your eyes go to waste. However, because we were able to put our President Joe Biden into the office, we see it delivered. 
• The American Rescue Plan was a game-changer for every business owner like ourselves. You know, it’s able to help us not only continue to keep those doors open, but with the PPP loans, we’re able to keep all of our staff, you know, motivated, all of our staff employed. 
• And in reality, it’s our staff that continues to help us keep the doors open alongside the entire community that supports us. Given that local field of local service in your community, while the community’s locally supporting yourself, really means a lot to us as a small business owner. 
• I am more than happy to see that restaurants are bouncing back in general. Small businesses are bouncing back. To see all these entrepreneurs and go-getters to continue to keep their small doors open, such as ourselves, it’s something that alleviates. It’s something that has really told us that the game plan is changing. It’s moving forward. 
• Our president is turning the tide as a whole. He is delivering, as mentioned. We do believe the economy is growing stronger every single day. We do see that with the help of all the Democrats and our President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, it’s really made a difference for our business. 
• Having more jobs, having people with more disposable income that you can pour into your niche pockets, into your neighborhood pockets, into the small businesses such as the ones that we have, our restaurants we really strive to bring the difference and authenticity of Mexican food to our neighbors, our communities. Watching us thrive is just, I couldn’t be happier. 
• And I really can’t say that the game plan is not working. I think our economy is growing as mentioned. At the bottom line. President Biden’s American Rescue Plan and economic agenda is working.
• As mentioned, when Georgians turned to the ballots to put our President Joe Biden, our Vice President Kamala Harris, and all the Democrats stepping down their ballot, we did it with the faith and trust that these leaders would bring change. Eight months later, we’re more than sure that the Democrats are delivering. 
• They are building back better small businesses with working families at the forefront. They have delivered support for restaurants like mine, small businesses of friends of mine, neighbors, communities down the street that I’ve seen recover. They’ve revitalized our economy so that our communities are once again thriving. 
• We appreciate it. And we’re very glad to be Blue.

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