2008 Woodie Awards
La Cha set to close Sunday
By: Courtney Hime
Issue date: 11/30/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
La Charreada Mexican Restaurant is set to close by Sunday unless business picks up, employees said.
Julio Muniz, manager of the restaurant, confirmed that a decline in business was to blame for the owner's decision to close the restaurant. The owner was unavailable for comment.
Muniz said he attributed the recent decline in business to an incident that occurred last month. On Oct. 24, the Putnam County Health Department received a complaint that La Cha employees were butchering a deer carcass in the restaurant's kitchen. The restaurant was fined and forced to undergo weekly inspections from the Health Department.
He said although the restaurant had passed all weekly inspections, customers were unwilling to give La Cha a second chance.
"People were unsure of their cleanliness after the deer was in the kitchen," said sophomore Katie Colvin. "I think many people thought they should have been closed after that incident."
Muniz said he felt the restaurant deserved a second chance.
"People really stopped coming," he said. "They didn't really give us another chance."
Junior Cara Sharpe said she was disappointed and surprised that the restaurant was closing.
"I have always loved La Cha, and the workers are so nice," she said. "I figured people would just forgive and forget."
Muniz has been manager of the restaurant for five weeks and was brought in after the deer incident.
He said he thought it was a shame that the incident happened, and that none of the employees involved "intended to do any harm."
Julio Muniz, manager of the restaurant, confirmed that a decline in business was to blame for the owner's decision to close the restaurant. The owner was unavailable for comment.
Muniz said he attributed the recent decline in business to an incident that occurred last month. On Oct. 24, the Putnam County Health Department received a complaint that La Cha employees were butchering a deer carcass in the restaurant's kitchen. The restaurant was fined and forced to undergo weekly inspections from the Health Department.
He said although the restaurant had passed all weekly inspections, customers were unwilling to give La Cha a second chance.
"People were unsure of their cleanliness after the deer was in the kitchen," said sophomore Katie Colvin. "I think many people thought they should have been closed after that incident."
Muniz said he felt the restaurant deserved a second chance.
"People really stopped coming," he said. "They didn't really give us another chance."
Junior Cara Sharpe said she was disappointed and surprised that the restaurant was closing.
"I have always loved La Cha, and the workers are so nice," she said. "I figured people would just forgive and forget."
Muniz has been manager of the restaurant for five weeks and was brought in after the deer incident.
He said he thought it was a shame that the incident happened, and that none of the employees involved "intended to do any harm."
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