LOCAL BUSINESS

Food costs have skyrocketed, and restaurants have had to increase wages to keep staff members. Hospitality industry leaders say buying gift cards and merchandise from local shops or restaurants is a great way to support struggling businesses.

A restaurant on the city’s Southeast Side was written up last month for a long list of food safety violations that included pests found in flour.

A restaurant on the city’s West Side was ordered to go through a reinspection in late September after food was found not being cooled properly.

A Honduran restaurant was ordered to go through a reinspection in late September after dead pests were found throughout its kitchen area.

A Mexican restaurant on the city’s Southeast Side was cited in September after a health inspector noted rusty shelves and a kitchen in need of a detailed cleaning.

A Southeast Side gas station had its restaurant license suspended last month after the staff was seen preparing food in a kitchen infested with rodent waste.

A Mexican Restaurant on the city’s West Side was ordered to go through a reinspection in August after pest droppings were found in a storage area.

Tia Rodriguez is hoping to whet some appetites and grow her small business by cooking up plant-based soul food.

In a partnership with the City of San Antonio, the Maestro Entrepreneur Center is giving 10 select minority business owners training, guidance, support and access to grant money so they can grow.

A north San Antonio Mexican restaurant was ordered to go through a re-inspection earlier this year after food in its walk-in refrigerator was too warm and had to be thrown away.

Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said Wednesday that he will not seek another term in office.

A Chinese restaurant located on the city’s North Side was cited in late July after a health inspector witnessed kitchen staff attempt to put on hair restraints as the inspection was getting underway.

The store will be built at the corner of FM 1103 and Main Street on a 45-acre property that H-E-B has owned for more than a decade.

The town hall was hosted by KSAT 12′s Max Massey and Tiffany Huertas and included members of the San Antonio business and tech community.

A Chinese restaurant located on the city’s North Side was cited in late July after a health inspector witnessed kitchen staff attempt to put on hair restraints as the inspection was getting underway.

There will be 242 homesites in the new development located at 1501 FM 306 across the highway from Whitewater Amphitheatre in New Braunfels.

A food truck based on the city's North East side was cited in late July after a city health inspector found dead pests throughout the establishment.

A Southeast Side Mexican restaurant was cited this summer for failing to store raw meat that was not in use in a cooler.

A taco restaurant on the West Side was ordered to have its walk-in refrigerator serviced immediately after its interior temperature was warmer than health standards allow.

A vegan restaurant on the the far North Side was cited last month after employees were seen not washing their hands or changing gloves prior to handling ready to eat foods.

Millions of open jobs are going unfilled, despite high levels of unemployment.

A south San Antonio taqueria barely avoided a failing health score in June after dead insects were found in several areas of the restaurant.

A food mart on the city’s West Side was ordered to go through a re-inspection in June after racking up a long list health code violations that included sewage back-ups and a soiled ice machine.

A meat market near downtown was ordered to toss out raw meat in late May after its temperature was nearly 10 degrees warmer than allowed by health standards.

A Mexican restaurant on the Northeast Side was ordered to go through a re-inspection earlier this year after live roaches were found in an upstairs, unused refrigerator and other areas of the establishment.

A northwest San Antonio market was forced to close portions of its establishment temporarily and go through a re-inspection last month after racking up a long list of violations.

Outdoor Alphas has found success by offering expertise and advice that’s sometimes missing from the big box outdoor stores.

China Rose, located in the 2500 block of SW Military Drive, received a score of 76 after racking up violations that also included improper hand washing.

A Mexican restaurant on the city’s Northwest Side was ordered to go through a re-inspection in April after a broken container was being used to hold raw meat on a food prep table.

An Italian restaurant in Southtown was ordered to go through a re-inspection earlier this year after a yellow build-up and black sludge were found inside its ice machine.

A Mexican restaurant on the city’s West Side received numerous violations last month due to hand washing issues with its staff.

A restaurant on the city’s far West Side was ordered to go through a re-inspection in late March after raw shrimp was found at room temperature sitting on a trash can, Metro Health records show.

A downtown restaurant was written up in late March after it was found thawing meat improperly, city health records show.

For the second time this year, a northwest San Antonio smoothie place was cited by health inspectors after toxic pest control spray was found inside the establishment.

A taco restaurant on the city’s Northwest Side was ordered to go through a re-inspection last month after gnats were found in several areas of the establishment.

Coco Bliss has a full menu of healthy freshly-squeezed juices, smoothies, and acai bowls.

A taqueria in far southeast San Antonio was cited last month after a city health inspector found clothes being used to cover tortillas.

A far west San Antonio buffet was cited earlier this year after it was found violating COVID-19 protocols, city health records show.

SAN ANTONIO – From the classroom to the basketball court and track field, Emani Gibbs, 13 years old, is taking on her busy schedule with an “elevate” mindset. Gibbs has a passion for sports but she also loves to shop for shoes, so her mother, Shakkera Santiago, posed a question to her one day. another pair of shoes?’ and I was like ‘yes ma’am’ she was just like ‘you’re always buying shoes, you’re always investing in Nike, Jordan, why don’t you invest in yourself? “She works hard in sports so we want to translate that into everything she does.”Elevate By Emani clothing line includes sizes from infants to adult men. “It’s gym, school work, business and then if I have time later, then I can talk to my friends.”AdIf you would like to order from Elevate by Emani, click here.

SAN ANTONIO – A restaurant on the city’s far West Side was written up late last month after moldy lemons were found by a city health inspector. Wing Daddy’s Sause House, located in the 10700 block of Potranco Road, received a score of 85 and was ordered to go through a re-inspection after racking up violations that also included having black residue in its ice machine and a broken water handle. To see more health inspection scores and to go Behind the Kitchen Door with Dillon Collier, click HERE for our special section. Score Guide:100-90 = A (Very Good to Acceptable)89-80 = B (Acceptable to Marginal)79 or lower = C (Marginal to Poor)Metro Health indicates that scores of 69 or lower are failing scoresOther scores this week:El Pollo Lopez, 910 SE Military Dr., 100First Watch Restaurant, 830 NW Loop 410, 100La Gloria Restaurant, 21819 IH 10 West, 100Longhorn Steakhouse, 5706 W. FM 1604 North, 100Tellez Tamales, 1802 Bandera Rd., 100Tokyo Gardens Catering, 1955 Nacogdoches Rd., 100Sushiholic, 11619 Bandera Rd., 99Mr. P’s Neighborhood Eatery, 1601 Guadalupe St., 98Conroy’s Bar & Grill, 2119 U.S. Hwy 281 North, 97Kona Grill, 7400 San Pedro Ave., 97Subway, 12335 Wetmore Rd., 96Nora’s Mexican Restaurant, 2906 Mission Rd., 95Pizza Hut, 3323 Roosevelt Ave., 94La Michoacana Meat Market, 2510 Pleasanton Rd., 93Taqueria La Tapatia, 538 Fair Ave., 92Kong’s Express, 903 S. Zarzamora, 90Sky Top Food Mart, 8511 Starcrest Dr., 89Oblate Cafe, 904 Oblate Dr., 87Pho Garden, 2535 SE Military Dr., 87Wing Daddy’s Sauce House, 10730 Potranco Rd., 85For food establishment complaints in the city of San Antonio, send an email to Metro Health or call 210-207-8853. AdCheck out more restaurant scores by clicking here.

SAN ANTONIO – A Subway restaurant on the city’s Southeast Side was cited last month after having no hot water during an inspection and for employees not washing their hands after handling cash. The restaurant, located in the 4100 block of S. New Braunfels, received a score of 81. Employees who touch money are required to wash their hands before putting on a new pair of gloves, according to health rules. To see more health inspection scores and to go Behind the Kitchen Door with Dillon Collier, click HERE for our special section. AdCheck out more restaurant scores by clicking here.

CASTROVILLE, Texas – A Castroville teen has taken what originally started as an interest and turned it into a full-fledged and successful business operation. “I had found some old boxes my grandfather used to keep bees back in the 1980s,” 16-year-old Trent Anderson, owner of BeeSpace explains. The interest then turned into full-fledged beekeeping, bee removal and a honey business, called BeeSpace. ”There are a lot of foods that rely on bees,” Trent said. I don’t think everything will come crashing down, but an ecosystem of just monocultures propagated by farmers, that’s a pretty depressing world.”AdTrent hopes to have 1,000 hives in two years.

SAN ANTONIO – A food mart on the city’s East Side failed a health inspection last month after racking up a long list of violations that included food being stored next to chemicals. Walters Food Mart, located in the 2100 block of Burnet Street, scored a 67 and was ordered to go through a re-inspection after a list of write-ups that also included engine coolant being kept near single-use items. The establishment also had a clogged sink and food debris was found on a cheese slicer, Metropolitan Health records show. To see more health inspection scores and to go Behind the Kitchen Door with Dillon Collier, click HERE for our special section. AdCheck out more restaurant scores by clicking here.

(AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)State agencies are teaming up to provide guidance to Texas employers on Wednesday in a virtual town hall as state-mandated COVID-19 restrictions on businesses are removed. Watch the one-hour virtual town hall livestream above, which starts at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 10. The town hall was organized by the Texas Worfkorce Commission and the Office of the Governor. “Texas Employers: Join us for a virtual town hall to discuss Governor Abbott’s new Executive Order, which includes opening Texas businesses 100%. Entrepreneurs and business owners will be hoping Wednesday’s town hall will help them navigate a difficult issue moving forward.

Image of The Roo Pub on the city's far North Side. SAN ANTONIO – A far north San Antonio pub was cited by health officials in late January after food was found being stored under condensation drips in a walk-in cooler. The Roo Pub, located in the 19300 block of U.S. 281 North, received a score of 85. The establishment was also written up for having a food dicer attached to a wall that had heavy food residue and accumulation on it. To see more health inspection scores and to go Behind the Kitchen Door with Dillon Collier, click HERE for our special section.

SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio brewery received backlash on social media after the owner of Back Unturned Brewing Co. was accused of not disclosing where proceeds from a social justice initiative were sent. Last Summer, Marcus Baskerville, the co-founder and head brewer of another San Antonio-based beer maker, Weathered Souls Brewing Company, started the Black is Beautiful Campaign. Baskerville and Weathered Souls asked participating breweries to donate 100% of the proceeds to local organizations that support police brutality reform and equality and inclusion. The donation pledge for Black is Beautiful is posted online, but it does not require a legal contract to participate. On Thursday, Baskerville posted a text message exchange on his personal Facebook between he and Ricardo Garcia, the owner of Back Unturned.

Smoothie King, located in the 11400 block of Bandera Road, received a score of 75 during the Jan. 19 inspection. Establishments that serve food are not permitted to use toxic, residential pest control products and must instead use pesticides certified for use in restaurants, city health records show. The business was also dinged for having bathrooms in need of being cleaned and for having floor drains that were clogged. To see more health inspection scores and to go Behind the Kitchen Door with Dillon Collier, click HERE for our special section. Check out more restaurant scores by clicking here.

SAN ANTONIO – A West Side San Antonio Mexican restaurant avoided a failing score but was told it would likely need to hire more staff after racking up a list of health violations during an inspection last month. El Rodeo Mexican Grill, located at 2525 SW Loop 410, was given a score of 78 after being written up for leaky pipes and for having a noticeable two-inch gap at the bottom of its back door. It was suggested to management that if the establishment wanted to improve its health score, it would likely need to hire more staff and have them certified as food handlers, in order to free up the manager to make sure the violations were addressed and corrected. To see more health inspection scores and to go Behind the Kitchen Door with Dillon Collier, click HERE for our special section. Check out more restaurant scores by clicking here.

SAN ANTONIO – A restaurant on the far Northwest Side was ordered to go through a re-inspection last month after shrimp was being stored on ice inside a hand sink. Staff of Mariscos La Laguna, located in the 23000 block of Interstate 10 West near Leon Springs, was instructed to use the sink only for washing hands. The establishment, which received a score of 80, was also cited for having no hot water and for having other plumbing issues, city health records show. To see more health inspection scores and to go Behind the Kitchen Door with Dillon Collier, click HERE for our special section. AdCheck out more restaurant scores by clicking here.

SAN ANTONIO – It looks to be bad news for Luby’s lovers. Fox 7 in Austin found governmental filings that show the restaurant posted a $3 million loss in its first fiscal quarter, while also settling 24 leases of closed Luby’s properties. AdLast June, Luby’s announced that it intended to sell off all assets and operations, including Fuddruckers, with proceeds going towards paying debts and other obligations. In September, the board of directors of Luby’s Inc. announced that it had adopted a plan to liquidate and dissolve the company. “It is estimated that most restaurant operations would cease operations under our ownership by the end of fiscal 2021,” the filing states, and “that a majority of [Luby’s] assets will be sold by December 31, 2021.”AdThere are still several Luby’s restaurants that are currently open in San Antonio.