By Cora Cervantes - NBC News
LOS ANGELES - Stephanie Sánchez, 32, is excited to welcome diners at her Mexican restaurant La Chupería as part of the Cinco de Mayo celebrations.
"Many people arrive for the first time
who have not been able to go out on the street for a year,
" says Sánchez.
“We want to make them feel like they are at home;
make them feel safe.
I like to tell you not to worry if the tables feel sticky, which is not a bad thing.
We constantly disinfect the tables so that everyone feels safe. "
Across the country, Latino restaurant owners and their employees are optimistic that mass vaccination nationwide, coupled with the relaxation of restrictions imposed by COVID-19, will attract more customers and generate profits for businesses hit by the disease. pandemic.
Latino-owned small businesses have been the hardest hit by the health crisis, yet an analysis by Stanford University says they received loans through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) at a rate less than half that of white business owners.
Above, the
study indicates that many businesses were directly affected by the economic impact produced by the pandemic
, while diseases and deaths related to COVID-19 affected them disproportionately, including the very young.
[The CDC projects a "sharp decline" in COVID-19 cases in July that will leave behind the worst of the pandemic]
Ulysses Leal, 33, co-owner of La Chupería and manager of the restaurant his father founded, says navigating the restrictions imposed was difficult for his business and his employees.
“We had to be creative.
We changed our menu card to add more items for take out orders.
The whole family cooperated.
I collaborated in the kitchen as I had never done before.
Sadly, we had to lay off most of our workers, ”Leal recalls.
“
We couldn't keep all the staff, but we did our best
to get them at least temporarily employed.
We have a good relationship with them and now the vast majority are back ”.
In El Paso, Texas, the L&J Café, founded in 1927, closed its doors at the start of the pandemic for two months and reduced its staff from 115 to just three employees.
"We thought we had everything under control, except for the pandemic," remembers its owner Leo Durán, 68 years old.
“Our grandparents founded the business in 1929, so they were not affected by the 1918 pandemic, which occurred nine years earlier.
“We have survived the Great Depression, World War II, many conflicts;
with Korea, Vietnam, the economic depression of 2008…
but the pandemic turned out to be something totally new for everyone ”.
El Paso was one of the hardest hit areas.
In November, members of the National Guard mobilized to that region to help morgues with the deceased while the entire state of Texas struggled with the increase in infections and deaths.
“It has been challenging to catch my breath.
We all do different jobs.
Our waiters do more than they did before, ”says Durán.
“We are grateful for delivering a great level of customer service.
I think we are all happy to be 'on the move' again, but quite frankly, it has cost us ”.
Texas Becomes Third State With Over 50,000 COVID-19 Deaths
April 23, 202100: 25
Recover the investment and balance employee safety
According to the National Restaurant Association of the United States,
more than 110,000 establishments in this sector have closed their doors, either temporarily or permanently
, and about 2.5 million people have lost their jobs in this area.
Sales revenue in the restaurant industry fell $ 240 billion in 2020 from an expected level of $ 899 billion.
The security measures implemented, including service restrictions inside the establishments, forced many food businesses to prepare take-out food.
Changes in take-out measures led to permanent restaurant closures in late 2020.
"Restaurant owners have told us that relying on takeout and delivery meant cutting staff by as much as 90%," said Lilly Rocha, president of the Latino Restaurant Association.
Restaunte La Chuperia in Los Angeles prepares for Cinco de Mayo celebrations amid the relaxation of restrictions due to COVID-19.Cora Cervantes
You also had to deal with security measures for employees or those returning to work.
"We have worked hard to implement the vaccination campaign in sectors where there are essential employees such as the restaurant industry," said Christian Castro, with the Los Angeles County Labor Federation, which represents a large part of the workers. of that sector.
[FDA plans to authorize Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine in children ages 12-15]
The federation has administered about 8,000 doses of the vaccine to employees and their families in Los Angeles County
, as well as in areas where a good number of industrial workers live, such as Pico Union, in conjunction with institutions such as Cal State Los Angeles.
Castro claims to have received information from the union about undocumented workers who were afraid to give up their personal information when they were vaccinated because they could be deported.
"We try to inform them that this vaccine is for everyone," he said.
In La Chupería, in Los Angeles, the key to opening the business and celebrating, especially this Cinco de Mayo, has been to be aware of the changes in the operating guidelines and vaccination.
[He was enslaved in a restaurant and will now receive compensation of more than $ 500,000]
"We check emails daily that come from the City Council to keep everyone safe, and that our employees receive their vaccinations," said Leal.
"Last year we faced great economic uncertainty, but we are ready and excited to open our doors this Cinco de Mayo."
We want people to join us
Award-winning chef Christina Martinez and her husband, Ben Miller, owners of
South Billy Barbacoa
and
The People's Kitchen
in Philadelphia, were quarantined inside their premises when the pandemic raged in neighboring South Philadelphia.
[Restaurants and hospitality offer thousands of jobs that nobody wants: "We don't know where the candidates are"]
"A lot of restaurants fell apart, but we were able to sustain ourselves
," Miller said.
For Martínez, who is from Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is a day of festivities.
“We want people to join us.
We just need to take the appropriate measures to maintain social distance, wear masks, and that our employees do not lower their guard ”.
"We have to work harder, but we have learned a lot from this pandemic", die Martínez.
"Latino businesses have conserved energy and I hope circumstances change."