Iconic El Paso restaurant Carlos and Mickey’s difficult balancing act: safety vs. staying open

EL PASO, Texas – Business owners in El Paso have been battling to keep their doors open and survive during the Covid-19 pandemic while also doing what’s best for the city they love.

For entrepreneurs like Rosa Saenz, it’s been a dilemma.

Saenz’s family runs the iconic Carlos & Mickey’s restaurant in central El Paso, a staple of the Sun City food landscape since the 1940s.

“I wake up every day and I think to myself, ‘Are we doing the right thing?’ I really am,” Saenz said.

Saenz wants to make sure her restaurant isn’t the problem when it comes to spreading the virus.

Hand sanitizer and face masks are a must.

But despite these precautions, her dining area remains mostly empty.

She’s had to make the tough choice to cut hours for her employees.

Saenz said County Judge Ricardo Samaniego’s shutdown of non-essential businesses, which was struck down by the courts, had a major impact on her bottom line.

But she also understands the need to do more to fight the virus and keep El Pasoans safe.

Her husband contracted the virus in July and it kept him bed-ridden for weeks.

“He had really bad fatigue,” Saenz said.

For now, she is left with the difficult task of balancing safety while keeping people she considers family employed.