Halifax-area eatery turns to social media to avoid bankruptcy

CITYnews halifax / By Steve Gow

A struggling Mexican restaurant in Bedford turned to social media to ask for help amid rising food prices.

The owner says it is a sign many other businesses in the Halifax area could also be on the brink of going under.

Daniela Alonso opened Taquitos Cocina de Mexico on Ella Lane off Larry Uteck Blvd in December 2023 after quitting her job to “follow her dream.”

She says business was going well until this past year when skyrocketing food and operation costs forced her to raise the price of some menu items and cut inventory as well as payroll.

The worsening situation culminated to Alonso turning to social media to ask for help on Jan. 2, where she would find plenty of community support.

“I never ever, ever, ever expected to blow up the way it did,” Alonso says about the surge of customers in the days following. “It’s been amazing. We have to adjust now to hopefully the new normal that we have more customers.”

While she says business has picked up since posting her message on social media, her business is still struggling and it could use government assistance to help stay afloat in 2026.

“Help from the government would be amazing. I’m not sure what that looks like; we’ve never had any,” says Alonso, adding she is also hoping the price of food stabilizes.

There is little chance of that happening for Alonso, with a recent report noting food prices are expected to increase anywhere between four and six per cent in 2026.

The Restaurant Association of Nova Scotia (RANS) recently pointed out that restaurants like Alonso’s will continue to face pressure into the new year.

“The biggest (concern) for us is really looking at the affordability piece,” RANS executive director, Natasha Chestnut, recently told CityNews Halifax, adding her organization is considering measures to mitigate the expense.

“We’ve put in requests and would love to see a bigger discount on alcohol for licensees, we’d like to see some incentive around the purchasing of local food; there is lobbying still taking place on the federal level to bring the GST exemption back on food,” she continues.

“Things like that would be super helpful because they would bring down the operational costs.”