Dear Sacramento:

You are my City
Holder of my heart
A City that represents the best of humanity. Friendly and kind, our City is an amalgamation of all cultures who support each other in friendship while respecting those things that make each of us unique.

We have stood together during challenges and celebrations
Cheered for each other when one is reaching for the stars beyond all odds
Shared in the happiness of new life
Mourned the loss of those we love and those we only know through their loved ones.

We are connected by the thread of humanity, which weaves itself through family and friends, those we know and those we have yet to meet.

Today, we stand together in the face of adversity.
As always, we will survive and thrive together – as individuals, as friends, as a community.

I promise to bring my positive energy to this challenge – to do everything in my power to continue to provide jobs to our restaurant family, to bring you the best of what my restaurants offer in fresh food and drink.  Our challenge is to shift from a dine-in experience to that of safe and delicious take-out. I have added delivery to our services so our guests can feel safer. I have increased our safety protocols to ensure the protection of not only patrons, but my team – because they are family, even though they’re not blood relatives. We all are.

It’s not only about my restaurants, of course. Every business that serves you is struggling. And it’s important to note that these are not faceless entities with millions of dollars. It’s the man who delivers produce and has a toddler at home with one on the way. It’s your best friend’s Mother, who is working at the grocery store and worries every night that she might be exposing her family to the virus. It’s the owner of the corner store, who is spending his savings to keep his employees working. It’s you and me and everyone we love.

Each day brings something new.  This is testing our agility and our resolve.  I hope you’re with me on this journey forward.

As Howard Schultz (of Starbucks fame) says:  “Onward!”  We are stronger together, moving forward one step at a time into the future – one with empathy and compassion.

Sr. Ernesto Delgado
Restaurateur and proud Sacramentan.