Wednesday, September 16-22, 2020 - // no. 073
Puerto Rico and the Caribbean
www.theweeklyjournal.com
Tourism Sector Pins Hopes on Q4 2020 P6 Many Business Restrictions Lifted P7 Gov’t Adjustment Plan on Hold P9
Food Trucks Are Resilient Amid Economic Crisis Following new business models to stay open
N
Giovanna Garofalo
Celebrating San Juan’s Rich History P12-13
ggarofalo@elvocero.com
@giopgarofalo
ow that Puerto Rico residents are learning to live with the “new normal” under the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and Gov. Wanda Vázquez reduced business and citizen restrictions with Executive Order 2020-066, food truck establishments are seeing a glimmer of hope amid what has been an uncertain time to stay afloat. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, food trucks are a growing market — the number of food truck establishments in the U.S. mainland is at least 5,970 today, nearly double the 3,281 registered in 2013.
Stateside, social distancing requirements and orders to close had a detrimental effect on the restaurant industry, the Census Bureau reported, “but not all food service businesses were affected equally: Food Trucks or Mobile Food Services by their very nature have more flexibility to continue to operate.” While that analysis may ring true for the mainland, Puerto Rico food trucks have been affected by a series of restrictions enforced since the beginning of the pandemic in mid-March, including lockdowns, curfews and strict social distancing protocols, among others. THE WEEKLY GO TO PAGE 4