A popular Alice restaurant is closing its doors for good after struggling to recover from storm damage that hit the community earlier this summer.
The District Grub and Social, a staple in the Alice community for several years, will serve its last customers at the end of July.
"Honestly, this is one of my favorite spots to eat. So, whenever we found out that they were closing it was a little bit like 'okay, that sucks. What are we going to do now?'" said Hector Lopez, a loyal customer of The District.
The May 8th storm caused significant damage to several buildings in Alice, including The District's location. Despite efforts to make repairs, the restaurant couldn't sustain operations while waiting for building fixes.
"The wait on them fixing the building is a little longer than we expected. So, I couldn't really wait and pay bills and pay workers," said Rick Medina, owner of The District Grub and Social.
Medina, his staff, and the building owners attempted to make repairs after the storm, but the situation became uncertain.
"If it rains we have to close. If it doesn't then we can stay open. It was just pretty much just time. You know - it's summer. It's been slow. Prices and stuff are going up. It was just kind of time," Medina said.
For many customers, The District was more than just a place to eat.
"I'm heartbroken. There's a lot of people that it affects," said Oscar Lozano IV, another regular customer.
Lozano frequented the establishment for its welcoming atmosphere as much as for the food.
"It's always just a good environment. Whether you want to come watch the game or come get away from all the stress you deal with in everyday life. You come here and have a good time," Lozano said.
Customers say they'll support Medina in his future endeavors and encourage those who haven't experienced The District's food to visit before they close permanently.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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