When Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant — a Delaware-born chain once celebrated for its craft beers and community feel — filed for bankruptcy this year, many were shocked.
But within that state’s restaurant community, the reaction went beyond surprise. For some, it felt more like a warning.
During the winter months, Los Mayas Mexican Restaurant in Millsboro often sees fewer customers, a challenge owner Berenice Lara Pulido says many small restaurants face each year.
For Berenice Lara Pulido, owner of Los Mayas Mexican Restaurant in Millsboro, Delaware, Iron Hill’s bankruptcy served as a wake-up call — a reminder of just how fragile the restaurant industry can be for smaller, independent businesses.
“My reaction upon hearing they were closing was more than anything a reminder, both for myself and for those in the industry, that anything can happen,” Lara Pulido said. “The key is knowing how to manage it … not mismanage money, neglecting the quality of the food, [or] customer service.”
She understands the kind of pressures that can lead a restaurant to shut its doors. Among the most difficult are the rising costs of supplies and ingredients.
“Meat isvery expensiveright now, too expensive. Meat and alcohol are too expensive; it wasn’t that expensive before,”shesaid. “The truth is, the changes in prices and the changes we see in purchases are much higher than what was normal before.”
But what surprises her most is not the cost of ingredients — it’s the cost of labor. Running a team of nearly 20 employees, from servers and cooks to dishwashers and prep staff, comes with mounting payroll expenses that eat into monthly profits.
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