from Frontera.com
TIJUANA, Baja California (PH)

"At least 300 Chinese restaurants in Baja California have ceased operations for lack of customers so far this year", said Leon Simon, chairman of the China Federation of Northwestern Mexico.

The number of clients began declining last April, when local authorities found two dead dogs in the kitchen of the Yen City restaurant.

The Chinese Restaurateur considered there might have been ill intentions on the part of the authorities, knowing that disclosing the finding in one place would suggest involvement in other establishments.

He said he did not rule out that the economic climate of Baja California could be responsible for the lack of customers and this led to the closures.

Some establishments have had to rotate staff to avoid layoffs of waiters or cooks.

"About 250 establishments remain in Tijuana and have shown a 70% recovery during Mothers' Day celebrations," said Luis Lei, Commissioner of Chinese Food Restaurants in the National Chamber of the Restaurant and Food Industry (Canirac).

This has led owners to implement strategies to avoid losses in sales, cooperating to plan events and promote personnel training for waiters and cooks.

"We want there to be inspections so the public can be certain that what they are eating can be consumed," he said.