How are Borderland restaurants fairing with curbside pickup and to-go ordering?
EL PASO, Texas -- The orders to close dining rooms in restaurants across Texas and New Mexico have hurt many locally owned businesses. One exception is that restaurants may deliver food or take orders curbside and have it brought out to your vehicle.
But how some of these Borderland businesses were doing after a month of the stay-at-home order took effect?
Billy Crews, owner of Billy Crews Fine Dining Room which has been operated since 1956, is not liking his prospects for the future.
"Its been terrible, we've done a little bit of take out. They've locked us down pretty good except curbside," said the Santa Teresa restaurant owner.
Crews was hit twice when New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham also ordered all package liquor stores in the state be shut down. Only larger businesses like Walgreens, Walmart and convenient stores are allowed to sell alcohol at the moment.
Felipe Ybarra, the owner of Flips Bar and Grill in El Paso's Upper Valley. is also feeling the pinch. "From doing a couple thousand a day to a couple a hundred is a big difference," he explained.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is scheduled to have a news conference next Monday, where he may lift certain restrictions that have been impacting the
the restaurant industry not to mention salons and retail stores.
But some Borderlanders don't think it's time yet to ease to the limitations currently in place.
"I don't believe we are ready to open because the numbers in El Paso and New Mexico are still rising," said El Pasoan Sandy Bond said. "I just feel uncomfortable for the businesses to open right now."
Added local health care worker Diane Morales, "I don't think we are ready. I think this (virus) is going in for the long run and people still need to be careful out there."
Another Borderlander, Gigi Malone, echoed similar thoughts about not being ready yet. "I feel we should wait a little longer until we are sure (the virus) is completely gone," she said.
