Beloved New Jersey Mexican restaurant closes

After over 40 years in business, Los Amigos restaurant in Atlantic City has closed its doors; although they haven’t said if the closure is permanent.

In a post on the restaurant’s Facebook page they wrote:

We are sorry to say Los Amigos will be closing its doors until further notice due to the poor labor market, exorbitant food costs, and fuel and energy costs. We would like to thank all our customers & past employees that have supported us since we opened in 1979. We wish you all the best.

On Facebook the post got over 900 comments (and counting) with many people lamenting the loss of a neighborhood institution, while others, unsurprisingly, turned the comments into various political screeds, primarily blaming the current presidential administration for the closing.

The post answers any questions as to why they are shutting down: the brewing storm of inflation and a tight labor market is starting to affect businesses of all sizes and industries.

From the Los Amigos website: Over the years, Los Amigos Restaurant has transformed from offering nachos and tacos to a whole host of creative and Southwestern inspired dishes. We pride ourselves on our vegan menu as well as our extensive tequila list. These dishes are the result of research and development through consulting with Mexican chefs and authors Diane Kennedy and Jane Butel. Not to mention, our chefs have received outstanding culinary education from both the Academy of Culinary Arts and the Culinary Institute of America.

Regardless of the reason, seeing a venerable institution that was able to stay afloat for over 40 years go under is just sad. Another restaurant has gone from the New Jersey landscape.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Doyle only.

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