SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — The restaurant industry in Tijuana continues to see bankrupt establishments and fewer sales due to a lack of customers from north of the border.
Visits are said to be down by as much as 30 percent since the start of the year, according to Giovanny Angulo, head of the restaurant division of Tijuana’s Chamber of Commerce
He says the lack of tourists is forcing many restaurants to shut down and lay people off.
“We don’t have a specific number of restaurants that have closed because not all of them are part of our organization, but I speak with restaurateurs every day and we have noticed this trend,” Angulo said. “Sales we are seeing now are about what we saw two years ago, there’s been no growth.”
Angulo blames two main factors: The belief Tijuana remains a dangerous place to visit and the long waits to cross the border, something people would rather avoid.
“Here in Tijuana, the main difference from other cities, is that we are very dependent on economic boosts from people in the United States, right now is not a good moment in time.”
Angulo added that restaurant owners have been trying to promote themselves by staging several food festivals. The Caesar Salad festival recently commemorated the 100th anniversary of the salad’s invention at a Tijuana restaurant, and the Paella Festival is planned for the end of September.
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