Newark-based El Criollo may have been in business for 35 years, but the past three years have taught the family-owned restaurant the power of patience, quick pivots and discovering new resources.
“There’s always a solution,” said Natalia Villanueva, co-owner of El Criollo, which serves Puerto Rican cuisine. “We learned that we can’t panic.”
In March 2020, as the world shut down as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Villanueva felt the same sense of worry that other restaurant owners felt. Yet she realized that if her family wanted to keep the doors open, they would have to operate differently and focus only on delivery and catering.
Today, the restaurant is running at full capacity. There are 17 employees– five more than when the pandemic shut it down in 2020. In addition, the restaurant and event space is more popular than ever, with more patrons desiring larger celebrations.
Although El Criollo has been able to survive the pandemic, other restaurants were not so fortunate. Since the shutdown, establishments such as the historic Bragman’s Delicatessen closed their doors. Kai Campbell, owner of Bragman’s and several other eateries in town says that Bragman’s is renovated and ready to reopen soon. Meanwhile, Pulaski BBQ Restaurant in the Ironbound section was listed for sale at $599,000 for the business and building, and most recently the owners of the iconic Iberia Tavern and Restaurant in the Ironbound closed its doors and sold the property.
Specific challenges constantly threaten the livelihood of eateries: rising costs, debt repayment, and a slow job market. A recent survey conducted by the New Jersey Restaurant and Hospitality Association revealed that 82% of New Jersey eateries are less profitable than in 2019, while 4% have been more profitable.
“Restaurants are at multiple ends of the spectrum. Some still need support coming out of the pandemic as a result of changes in office attendance (people are still working from home), while some are thriving and finding new niches,” said Emily Manz, Invest Newark’s Senior Vice President of Business Development. “As residents and also people that work in Newark we need to make sure we are eating locally, catering locally, and supporting local entrepreneurs.”
Yet despite these threats, restaurant owners are consistently discovering the power of innovation. The owners of Iberia sold to a developer who is planning to build a $1 billion project on the property, and Campbell says ‘Burger Walla closed in September to make way for a new store,” noting that The Yard, his third restaurant that sits in the middle of Military Park, is still thriving.
“The restaurants and business owners are key drivers and a huge part of our local economy,” Manz said. “They create jobs and positive experiences for people here. They make Newark tick.”
As a result of participating in the Business Accelerator Program through Invest Newark, Villanueva’s family has a different outlook on business. “We had a set way of doing things and I needed to work on the business, not in the business,” she said. “We realized we are a big business.”
