San Antonio mayoral candidate lays out sweeping pro-restaurant platform

San Antonio mayoral candidate Rolando Pablos on Tuesday unveiled a 10-point plan to support the local restaurant industry, which has been roiled by a wave of recent closures.

The plan from Pablos — a former Republican Texas Secretary of State — includes streamlining licensing and regulatory paperwork for restaurants, offering grants to those affected by construction and extending rent-reduction incentives.

He also seeks to create a community policing initiative to curb crime around restaurants, bolster culinary and hospitality vocational training programs and subsidize childcare for restaurant workers, according to the plan. Pablos’ proposal comes as the recent closures of well-regarded dining establishments including Pearl staple Botika, high-end Italian spot Allora and longtime Japanese favorite Godai Sushi sent the local culinary scene spinning.

“My goal on day one as your mayor will be to correct this negative trend by focussing on fixing several issues at once: labor shortages, increasing rents, rising supply chain costs, government overreach and post-COVID economic recovery,” Pablos said in a statement.

Still, the plan doesn’t include details on how the city would pay for the policy changes.

The proposal by Pablos — a recent entrant into the crowded race to replace termed-out Mayor Ron Nirenberg — may appeal to San Antonio bar and restaurant owners, who have shown an increased willingness to flex their political muscles.

Many in the sector have complained about the effect of construction projects and city regulations on their bottom lines as they struggle to recover from the prolonged COVID downturn.

Such grievances inspired high-profile bar and restaurant owners Aaron Peña, Jody Bailey Newman and Chad Carey to launch the Business Community PAC this summer to step up their political advocacy.

The restaurant community also played a role in the 2023 defeat of District 1 Councilman Mario Bravo. Angered over long-delayed construction on the St. Mary’s Strip and unresolved disputes with neighborhood groups, many in the industry threw support behind Sukh Kaur, who now holds the office.

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This article appears in Sep 5-11, 2024.