. . . Many of those same Culinary Brothers, who worked right beside us for close to 20 years and who were key to helping us launch all 3 Mexican Radio locations, have now been forcibly and violently ejected from this country tearing out the very soul of our kitchen staff, our Familia de Cocina.
So too we have felt firsthand the painful loss of our longstanding Front of House Familia from both locations [New York City and Hudson], many of whom having worked beside us for years if not decades. With their own growing families we've seen them having to upend their lives, scrambling to survive the increasing burdens the hardworking middle class is coping with every single day. The signs of losing them and the growing affliction this has created for our local business community are now visible everywhere. HELP WANTED. There is no end in sight.
Yesterday, the Daily Gazette, the newspaper in Schenectady where the surviving Mexican Radio is located, reported the closing in an article that carried this headline: "Mexican Radio shuts Hudson location, says kitchen staff deported." Last night, WGRB did a story about the closing, which had basically the title: "Hudson Radio closes Hudson location, citing immigration policies."
Update: Yesterday evening, HudsonValley360 posted an article with a similar headline: "Mexican Radio says closing tied to ICE enforcement." The article, however, quotes Khaalid Walls, Northeast regional communications director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as saying, "We've had no enforcement action involved with this business." Channel 10 News did a story on the closing with a similar headline--"Mexican Radio in Hudson shutting down over immigration crackdown"--in which Lori Selden, one of the owners of Mexican Radio, is interviewed and clarifies that immigration is not the only reason for the closing. She also blames the rising cost of living, "where people need two or three jobs, or they have to leave, because they can't afford to live where they're living."
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Update: Yesterday evening, HudsonValley360 posted an article with a similar headline: "Mexican Radio says closing tied to ICE enforcement." The article, however, quotes Khaalid Walls, Northeast regional communications director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as saying, "We've had no enforcement action involved with this business." Channel 10 News did a story on the closing with a similar headline--"Mexican Radio in Hudson shutting down over immigration crackdown"--in which Lori Selden, one of the owners of Mexican Radio, is interviewed and clarifies that immigration is not the only reason for the closing. She also blames the rising cost of living, "where people need two or three jobs, or they have to leave, because they can't afford to live where they're living."
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I am very sorry to see it closed. It is the end of another era, having owned the building prior and had my/our shop there for many years. I will miss Lori and Mark who were good community people. We could see they struggled with staff and customers were fewer in the past couple of years. I'll miss the Margaritas and the tacos however. It was a great place for lunch on a rainy day and their ever open hours were a benefit.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that the second paragraph of their statement, re: front of house, is commenting on cost of housing and living issues as explanation for their difficulties in keeping staff. REBECCA WOLFF
ReplyDeleteWhy are you editorializing that they closed because of the "current administration's ruthless and aggressive immigration policies"? Do you have any evidence of this aside from the line of BS the owner is throwing out? Have you checked with regulatory agencies that oversee operations like this one? The fact is the quality and quantity of the food has deteriorated markedly over the last couple of years from what it was when it first opened. Weren't they sued for improper payment of OT? Another fact is, if these people were illegal aliens (which you offer no proof of except blind acceptance of what the owner says because she blames it on Trump) they should be deported. If the owners were not complying with minimum wages or withholding like Social Security, Medicare, State & Federal taxes, they should be arrested.
ReplyDeleteWait until all the facts are before you blame it on anyone.
For the record, this Peter M is not Peter Meyer
DeleteThe sanctuary people in Hudson have their own FB page. They apparently have all day to watch for Ice vehicles. They have never posted about raids affecting Mexican Radio.
ReplyDeleteThe owner can say what he wants, does not make it true.
And as far as the media reporting it, journalism has gotten so lazy, many of these outlets are just taking statements off websites and reporting them as fact.
Political opportunism, scapegoating, demagoguery ... I was onto something spending my money elsewhere. Good riddance!
ReplyDeletemexican radio was once one of the best mexican restaurants in NYC. its amazing how the quality declined.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIsn't anyone else suspicious in the fact the building was put up for sale for $1M Aug of 2018 and was only RECENTLY taken down on most real estate sites days before they closed? In fact, the listing is still active on Keller Williams site: http://www.kw.com/homes-for-sale/12534/NY/Hudson/537-WARREN-ST/3yd-CRMLSNY-201826714.html
ReplyDeleteICE is behind that too. Ditto the bad food.
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