RIO HONDO — Sulema Tello’s flower shop isn’t seeing much business these days.
Her walk-in customers have dwindled to almost zero since the Rio Hondo lift bridge closed.
“We’re dead,” Tello said.
She said it’s going to be a hard year while the bridge gets a $12 million overhaul. The Texas Department of Transportation expects the renovations to the bridge to be finished by December 2017.
Business owners say they are losing profits daily since the lift bridge closed for repairs on Sept. 26. The closure has stopped the constant flow of traffic through downtown, leaving business owners wondering where their next customers are going to come from.
The local hardware store, grocery store and restaurant owners said they have had to cut employee hours to help keep costs down.
TxDOT reported 6,000 vehicles crossed the Rio Hondo lift bridge a day before it closed.
“It is really hurting and I can say sales are down at least 40 to 50 percent,” said Jason White, hardware store owner.
White said he is counting on the community to buy locally and on Winter Texans to start shopping here once they arrive.
Subway, the only major franchise in town, also reported sales have dipped.
“It’s taking a pretty good hit on us,” White said.
He said he has lost many farming customers located on the west side of the bridge.
“They are not shopping here anymore,” White said. “Farmers are going to Harlingen and we lost all our customers from Port Mansfield.”
But one way White is helping local struggling businesses is he’s buying locally.
On Thursday, he purchased $1,000 worth of food from Mike’s Grocery for a barbecue appreciation dinner he held at his hardware store in Port Isabel.
“Mike’s here locally and I’m just trying to support him,” White said. “My father is also traveling from Brownsville to shop for groceries in town.”
White’s father is not the only one traveling from surrounding communities to shop in Rio Hondo.
Former town resident Robert Ramirez, who now lives in Harlingen, also has made the trip to Mike’s to buy groceries.
“There are no Whataburgers, Pizza Huts or major national restaurants in Rio Hondo,” Ramirez said. “You will find a handful of mom and pop diners serving up some great food.”
He said Ornela’s Bakery has very good pan dulce. He is urging the surrounding communities to spend a few bucks here to help Rio Hondo generate some revenue so these businesses can remain open.
White’s hardware store has been open since the 1970s and he’s owned it since 2006.
The hardware store offers lumber and other big items aside from the standard tools, nails and tires.
“We price-match anybody from town and have free delivery,” White said. “We’ll do what we can to get the sale.”
Los Fresnos residents Easter Godines visited Ofelia’s restaurant on Thursday for lunch.
Godines sat at a table with her mother and sister.
They were the only customers in the restaurant.
The last order made was for 20 breakfast tacos Ofelia’s sold hours earlier.
Nobody came in to order food during the noon hour.
“It’s been very slow,” said Ofelia Obregon, restaurant owner. “The bridge has affected the businesses a lot.”
She’s optimistic even though she is concerned not enough customers are stopping to eat like they would before the bridge closed.
“The bills don’t pay themselves,” Obregon said. “But everything will be OK.”
