I recently had lunch at one of my favorite restaurants in our area, Qero. It's a tiny Peruvian restaurant in Encinitas that has some of the best food ever. Prior to the pandemic, they were open for lunch and dinner. Lunch crowds were small, and dinner crowds were larger. They were always busy. Then along came the pandemic.
They closed their doors for over a year. There was a nice crowd when I was there for lunch recently in May. The tres leches cake for dessert is the best I have ever had. But how did they survive a year without any dining in customers?
First, they had a landlord who worked with them. He was understanding of the situation, wanted to keep them as a tenant, and worked out something they could both live with. Next, they changed their mission. They did a large take out business, started doing more catering, and teaching cooking classes. All of these three approaches led to success. They are still in business! When so many small family run restaurants have folded, Qero survives.
If you haven't eaten there, I urge you to try it. The family run restaurant is friendly and the food will wow you. Don't think spicy when you think Peruvian. It's not. It's just full of flavor.
Hard times call for innovation, and Qero has done just that. I am taking a group there for lunch in June, and I am planning to organize a cooking class for some friends in the near future. Unless we want a world of corporate run restaurants like Outback, Olive Garden and Denny's, we must support independent restaurants.
I would like to join in on the cooking class Susie. I love reading your blog!
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