A 40-Year-Old Mexican Restaurant Closes When the Statewide Stay-at-Home Order Lifts

Ricardo’s, the 24-hour Mexican restaurant, plans to close after nearly 41 years in business. Owner Bob Ansara tells the Las Vegas Review-Journal that once Gov. Steve Sisolak lets restaurants reopen for dine-in service, his business will close for good.

Ansara says the reopening “doesn’t make any sense” since restaurants will have to add social distancing protocols once they reopen. Since pivoting to takeout and delivery service daily from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Ansara says his restaurant does about 20 percent of its regular sales. He cut his staff of 67 down to four.

Gov. Steve Sisolak ordered all nonessential businesses including dine-in restaurants to close on March 17 to prevent the spread of COVID-19. He extended his stay-at-home order through May 15, and hopes that dine-in restaurants can reopen with social distancing practices once he lifts his directive.

Ansara says other factors led his to decide to close, including the changing demographics of his neighborhood at the corner of Flamingo Road and Decatur Boulevard and the amount of money he’d need to reinvest in the restaurant to get it to up to full operation again, a process he predicts will take 18 months.

• Ricardo’s Mexican Restaurant to close after 40 years in Las Vegas [LVRJ]

• All Coverage of Ricardo’s Mexican Restaurant [ELV]

• Every Restaurant and Bar That Closed in Las Vegas: 2020 Edition [ELV]

• How Coronavirus Is Affecting Las Vegas Food and Restaurants [ELV]