east valley
Volume 3 Issue 14 Mesa, AZ
October 18, 2020
Mesa helping Spanish-speaking restaurateurs BY SARAH NGUYEN Tribune Contributor
T
IN THE BIZ
he City of Mesa has launched a special bootcamp in Spanish to rejuvenate restaurants affected by COVID-19. The Mesa CARES Restaurant Bootcamp is being held every Saturday through six webinars for 12 qualifying participants. The city and Local First Arizona offered the restaurant bootcamps in English throughout the summer as part of the Mesa CARES Small Business Technical Assistance Program that was made possible through the $93 million federal pandemic-relief money Mesa received earlier this year. A survey released last month by the National Restaurant Association reported that a staggering 100,000 restaurants have closed on a permanent or long-term basis in the U.S. since the pandemic began – putting one of every six eateries out of business and resulting in the loss of three million restaurant jobs. “Most restaurants are still struggling to survive and don’t expect their position to improve over the next six months,” the association said of a survey of 3,500 eateries. It noted that one of the big reasons is that restaurant spending is down 34-60 percent and that operational costs are higher because social distancing guidelines have forced eateries to rely on few diners at any one sitting. While the exact number of Mesa restaurant closures is unknown, officials said they hope to help eateries recover. Public Notices ............... page 3 © Copyright, 2020 East Valley Tribune
Los Dos Molinos owner John Gabaldon said the pandemic has been brutal for his and other restaurants and said Mesa city employees have been helpful, though he wonders why the state hasn't done more to helping eateries. (Special to the Tribune)
The city has undertaken other efforts aimed at restaurants. During a summer, for example, it marketed the Mesa Family Take Out Night on Wednesdays for downtown restaurants. “We won’t know for sure until later in the year, but we’re hoping that they can sustain their businesses for the next few weeks,” said Jaye O’Donnell, the city assistant economic development director. The bootcamps address a wide range of operation issues and systems as well as things like marketing and menu creation. (USPS 004-616) is published weekly
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Any business, not just restaurants, also can apply for technical assistance from the city at MesaAz.Gov/CARESBizTechAssist. O’Donnell said some restaurants have had challenges trying to adapt to safety guidelines for social distancing. “Some businesses have had challenges modifying their business models,” she said, “They’ve had to pivot.” Violeta Cortez, a co-owner of Sol Azteca Mexican Kitchen in Mesa, experienced such struggles. “With this being a new virus, new proSubscriptions are $26 for 2 years, $14 for one year. Periodicals postage paid at Phoenix, AZ 85026.
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