Rio Cristal To Close For Good August 31

Miami's Rio Cristal is the latest restaurant casualty of the coronavirus.

Food blogger Sef Gonzalez broke the news on Burger Beast that the Cuban restaurant decided to shut down for good on August 31 after 46 years in business.

Ely Acosta, the daughter of Rio Cristal's founder Pepe Acosta, "mentioned that her mother and brother who run the day to day operations of the restaurant had tried their best to make it work during these trying times," Gonzalez wrote.

Like other Miami restaurants, Rio Cristal depended on take-out orders to make ends meet when it first closed its Winchester dining room in March to comply with local COVID-19 regulations. Rio Cristal received a federal payment protection loan and its landlord cut its rent for several months, reports the Miami Herald, but it wasn't enough to keep the restaurant going without taking on debt.

Acosta told the Herald that the family didn't want to break her father's mandate about not going into debt. Pepe Acosta started the restaurant in 1974, which his family took over prior to his death in 2014.

Customers are heartbroken by the impending closure.

“It is sad. It is a shame. They have been around a long time. As a small business owner, you feel for these businesses that are just trying to get by," Moe Igheldane told CBS 4 Miami.

Rio Cristal is offering take out and delivery via Postmates and other apps until the end of the month so customers still have time to order traditional Cuban dishes and fan favorite #51 Super Rio Cristal Steak served under a mountain of fries.

Photo: Getty Images