ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – After more than three decades in business, an Albuquerque restaurant is closing its doors for good.
“I would have loved to end on a better note when it was fully open, and maybe sold it. But now I can’t even do that,” said owners of Ortega’s New Mexican Restaurant Edna and Rudy Ortega.
The owners say the pandemic is a big reason why they’re shutting down after three decades in business. They were able to stay afloat with takeout only when the public health order first shuttered restaurants. But to go orders dropped when limited dine-in service returned in late May. When restaurants had to close to dine-in a second time, they had a hard time rebuilding its take-out business again.
“When you close your business, half your business goes away, it’s hard. You can’t sustain it,” said Edna and Rudy.
Ortega’s last day in business is September 12.
