Las Cruces restaurant struggles to stay in business with dining room closed during pandemic

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico - Prior to the pandemic, the dining room of El Patrón Café & Catering was full of laughs, sizzling entrees and clinking glasses.

"We used to have well over 100 customers a day," said owner Paul Tirre. "Now, we’re lucky if we see more than five customers.”

The small business owner told ABC-7 that multiple members of his family are immunocompromised. For twenty-one months, he has decided to keep his dining room closed to protect the people who work inside the restaurant.

“Not everyone agrees on the vaccine," Tirre said. “If you don’t take care of your health, there is no business.”

He said he frequently has to close early to cut down on costs and cover payroll. Outside his restaurant, there are patrons without cars who walk to the window of his drive-thru.

“Our food is what really kept them coming back," Tirre said.

The small business owner said he is worried about losing his restaurant of 12 years. However, with about 1 in 5 Doña Ana County residents not fully vaccinated, he said he would rather risk profits over health.

“If we have people that are unvaccinated come in and put us at risk, then we’re putting our family at risk also," Tirre said.