Power Outages Cost Chetumal Restaurants Up to 50% of Revenue

Chetumal, Quintana Roo — Recent power outages in the state capital cost local restaurants between 11% and 50% of their average revenue, according to Esteban Mera Villanueva, president of the southern zone chapter of CANIRAC, Mexico’s national restaurant chamber.

Mera Villanueva said the blackouts knocked out refrigeration, lighting and payment terminals, forcing many establishments to temporarily suspend operations. He clarified that the power failures did not cause a widespread closure of restaurants.

“Although the level of impact varied among members, the economic blow is significant for the sector’s daily cash flow,” he said.

In the coming days, the chamber will open a working group with representatives of the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) to determine the technical reasons for the outages and receive updates on infrastructure investment, Mera Villanueva said.

“The CFE superintendent has told us there are specific plans to improve service in Bacalar and Chetumal,” he added. “We will closely monitor their execution to prevent further blackouts and guarantee the operation of the region’s tourist and commercial corridors.”