ALBUQUERQUE, NM (KRQE) – Months after the pandemic began, bars across the state remain closed Monday nights, forcing some to rely on food sales to stay alive. Places like the Revel Entertainment Center are expected to be packed with people at night enjoying the bars and live music, but they have since turned into ghost towns.
Opening an entertainment space in Albuquerque was the dream of Daniel Chávez. “That was the vision,” Chávez said. That was the dream. That’s what I saved my money for. ”
After just three weeks of opening the Revel Entertainment Center in March, the coronavirus closed it. “This is one of the hardest things for me to come here,” Chávez said. “I didn’t like going in here. It is very difficult to go in and see all the work finished and ready to go with no one here. ”
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Chávez had to fire 125 people. At the moment, the only money that comes in is from the delivery and delivery of the internal restaurants. Most of the sales must come from its large spaces, such as the concert hall and piano bar, plus two other bars. All of these remain empty. “Unfortunately, we saw that there will be no entertainment side by side, probably, who knows,” said Chávez.
Library Bar and Grill’s Michael Conforti said it has been extremely difficult surviving months of closure by obtaining various loans to help. “It has been a roller coaster,” Conforti said. “We see certain dates coming and then we are told to wait until that date in June, that date in July. So, we see that things are going the other way around and we understand the health problems, but we are trying to do our best to survive.
Conforti said he trusted the show for a long time, but the place is known for its nightlife. “Places like ours have more to do with being in a place and enjoying the environment,” Conforti said. “The bills for running a bar or restaurant are huge. You really would have to have some take out sales just to make it worth opening. “
Chávez said he is committed to making his dream come true. “If it lasts another year and a half, we will still be here,” said Chávez. “We are going to see shows in this place. All bars will work perfectly and we’ll get back to that. ”
Chávez said that the headquarters represents 70% of the business. The premiere was scheduled for this summer, but they are slowing down the project until they know for sure when the shows will return.
He doesn’t expect this to happen until the fall of next year. The governor had already said that the gates could reopen in phase two.
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