El Pecos to open on Monday as restaurant

El Pecos Grill will open on Monday only as a restaurant while the owners await responses from the authorities in order to continue providing service to customers as a market.

El Pecos owner Suzane Camacho told Newsday on Thursday she has yet to receive responses from the police about the actions of several officers last week regarding her business.

Given the lack of information about the operation of El Pecos as a market, she said: “On Monday we will open as a restaurant only, as will all food outlets. We must wait for our conditions as a market to clear up in order to continue moving forward.”

Camacho said although the road is hard they will continue to insist on creating more opportunities for their customers.

“El Pecos has been a recognised brand in Trinidad and Tobago for 19 years and we have a large clientele who trust us as a restaurant and now as a market. We are not criminals to be pressured by the police. We still don’t understand why they acted against us,” she said.

On Thursday afternoon a gas truck was filling El Pecos’ internal cylinders on Ariapita Avenue, Woodbrook, as part of preparations for Monday’s reopening.

“On Monday the entire El Pecos staff will be working early to organise our kitchen and offer customers the best food from 10 am,” said Camacho.

El Pecos Grill has three locations, but will only open on Ariapita Avenue.

“We look forward to the support of customers who have been waiting for more than three months of lockdown to re-taste our meals,” she said.

Camacho called for the rest of the food sales outlets which will also open on Monday to follow the regulations and health measures at all times and thus contribute to keeping covid19 under control.

Last week El Pecos Grill reopened to the public under an amended registered business name, El Pecos Market, offering limited grocery items on sale, alongside their popular pre-packaged "grab and go" meals.

The long lines of people in front attracted the attention of the police. Several arrived at El Pecos Grill on Friday afternoon and after an inspection they took the security cameras.

Until Thursday, the owners had no answers from the authorities and decided to keep the market closed until next Monday, when restaurants will open for delivery, takeout and curbside pickup.