A popular restaurant in Vallecito has announced it will shutter its doors for good, with its owner saying the economic hardships of the coronavirus outbreak and subsequent shutdown was too much to overcome.
Gary Peach, owner of Pura Vida Café, located along the banks of Vallecito Reservoir about 25 miles northeast of Durango, announced the closure last week on social media.
Peach declined to comment about the closure.
“With the new normal, this wonderful restaurant has come to an abrupt end,” Peach wrote. “It was sure great while it lasted.”
Pura Vida Café opened 13 years ago, according to his post. It was one of just a handful of restaurants around Vallecito. In September, the Rusty Shovel Saloon closed after five years operating in the lakeside community.
In his post, Peach said restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus made operating untenable and put the restaurant at risk of falling into a deep financial hole.
Pura Vida Café typically closed in the winter and reopened during the height of tourist season in the summer months.
“… With the uncertainty of next year maybe being the same, I have decided not to drag out the inevitable,” he wrote. “It has been a real pleasure, and I feel lucky to have lived my lifelong dream even for a little while.”
Gov. Jared Polis on March 16 closed all in-dining services at restaurants and bars across the state to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Eateries were allowed, however, to offer take-out and delivery, though many restaurant owners say those services don’t make up for money lost with people eating in dining rooms.
Although some business sectors have started to reopen, it’s still unclear when restaurants and bars will be able to open their doors. Polis said Monday at a news briefing it could be weeks longer as state health officials draft proper guidelines that would ensure the safety of customers coming in to eat.
“Because even if they open and customers fear going there, they wouldn’t be doing very well,” Polis said. “We want to make sure that it’s done safely, that it inspires confidence in the people that work in the restaurant industry and the customers as well. We’re going to get that done as soon as we can.”
jromeo@durangoherald.com