Marcos Carbajal: “We need the support of our community now more than ever”
Of Mexican descent, this restaurateur analyzes how the current immigration policy and the drop in tourism are hitting Latino businesses.
“When there’s a raid, we have to go and support that part of the city. That’s when it’s needed most.” – Marcos Carbajal
By Migdalis Pérez
In 1975, when the Pilsen neighborhood was a destination for thousands of Mexican families in Chicago, Inocencio Carbajal, alias “El Güero”, opened Carnitas Uruapan, a small shop specializing in carnitas Michoacán style.
This wasn’t a restaurant with an extensive menu, nor did it try to cater to American tastes. It was a clear strategy: to make carnitas using the family recipe, untouched. Over the years, that place became a legendary destination for those seeking authentic Mexican flavors.
Today, the business is run by his son, Marcos, who not only inherited the operation, but also the responsibility of sustaining a family legacy that extends to two other locations: Gage Park (2019), a predominantly Latino area, and Little Village (2025), where the largest Mexican community in Chicago is concentrated.
Drastic drop in sales
Amid a climate marked by immigration operations and strong economic uncertainty, the businessman maintains that current immigration policies have impacted his company “to different degrees, in each location.”
In Pilsen, for example, the impact has been less, because “today, it is a more diverse neighborhood. It has been a slightly less affected location, but even there, we are talking about a 10-15% reduction in sales compared to the previous year,” he points out.
In Gage Park, however, the blow has been greater. “We’re talking about a 15-20% loss. It’s a slightly more residential area, more predominantly Mexican,” he emphasizes, and then acknowledges: “In Little Village, where there were more migration operations and key events, the drops were 35-40%. Right now, they’re at 30% compared to the levels we were at last summer, before the operation.”
Marcos sees a parallel between these circumstances and those experienced during the pandemic. “The numbers are comparable to, or even greater than, the downturns we saw during COVID-19.” He adds that 26th Avenue depends largely on Mexican tourism from other states. “That tourism,” he admits, “has decreased significantly. Now, it’s slowly returning, but during the previous months, it was practically nonexistent.”
Challenges and measures ahead
Naturally, this situation has led to financial challenges. “To a certain extent,” he emphasizes, “we can adjust costs. We’ve also had to cut hours. Fortunately, we haven’t reduced staff, but where there has been an organic reduction, we’ve decided not to replace them.”
Carnitas Uruapan has also expanded into new markets. In this regard, Marcos acknowledges that they are openly seeking support from “people outside the neighborhood; trying to sell more food for parties and corporate events downtown,” since their main clientele “still doesn’t feel comfortable going out because of the immigration operations.”
Naturally, this fear is voiced among their customers. “This is a frequent topic of conversation. We know it’s something they take into account when deciding where to eat or where to go out. Many times, we know they aren’t crossing the city to try to minimize what they’re exposed to.”
A look to the future
Looking ahead, the businessman believes that “many businesses won’t be able to withstand this, as we’re seeing a very complicated and difficult situation.” In his case, he believes that, being among the most established businesses in the community, with several locations and 50 years of experience, diversification makes them stronger.
As a recommendation, he advises “smaller businesses with only one location to manage their costs as much as possible, find savings wherever they can, and grow their clientele. Because, with what’s left of the current administration, this kind of blow can’t be sustained for much longer.”
Although he confirms that “there will be a lot of businesses going bankrupt,” he also acknowledges that the intensity of the raids’ impact has decreased. “There have been some battles won in the courts. Now,” he explains, “officers have to wear body cameras. And there are more incentives for them not to break the law, because they are recording themselves.”
Positive turn in the face of a lack of diners
Turning to a more current situation, regarding the war between the United States and Israel against Iran, the restaurant owner believes that “the price of oil will affect the prices of everything.” But, in his opinion, “that factor is minimal compared to the effect of the raids on the community.” Therefore, for him, “the lack of demand and diners due to migration is the main factor. Everything else is secondary.”
Aware of these challenges, Marcos insists on a call to action. “We have to find a positive side to it, too. We have to call on people to support these businesses in the hardest-hit communities. When there’s a raid, we have to go and support that part of the city. That’s when it’s needed most.”
“In those 24 to 48 hours later,” he concludes, “that’s when these businesses are being most affected. That’s why we need to be very conscious of our decisions about where we eat, where we shop, and which businesses we support. That’s more important now than ever.”
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