More than 100 restaurants in Yucatan have closed due to pandemic

MÉRIDA, Yucatán.- The National Chamber of the Restaurant and Seasoned Food Industry (Canirac), Yucatan delegation, reported that due to the health emergency caused by Covid-19, 70 food & drink businesses have closed so far, and each of them has more than one establishment.

Roberto G. Cantón Barros, leader of the restaurant sector, said that the situation continues to worsen, since many of these places provide take out & delivery, in order to be able to pay for worker’s salaries, but the payment of services is pending, so they require not only the support of the state, but also of the Federal Government.

“The business sector is going through a very severe crisis and the restaurant owners are desperate. The measures implemented by the authorities to reduce the proliferation of the Covid-19 coronavirus are necessary and are intended for the benefit of health, but inevitably have negative economic consequences, ” he said.

In this context, he said that until now sales have fallen “drastically”, forcing more than 70 restaurants to close, but this affects more people because many of these are chains with more than one branch.

“It is difficult for the resources approved by the authority to be necessary due to the large number of businesses affected, however they will give a break to the businessmen who managed to register their applications,” said the Canirac leader.

G. Cantón Barros specified that in order to avoid this situation, it is necessary for local congressmen to approve the economic package that the State Government has proposed in its “rescue plan”.

“The economic outlook is uncertain, but we will continue to move forward and our mayor’s interest is to preserve sources of employment and emerge stronger from this situation that affects our entire society,” he said.

The State Business Coordinating Council (CCE) regretted the lack of support from the federal government, because jobs and mainly in SMEs, which represent 92 percent of the economic production units and more than 80 percent of jobs at national level.

In 2019, according to Canirac reports, 45 food businesses closed, but at the same time twice as many were opened, that is, 90 new companies, which contrasts with the current scenario.