SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — At Fiesta Cocina in Old Town San Diego the customers are browsing and owner Andres Ortiz is pleased.
"This is definitely a good feeling and we're very happy that we survived a whole year," Ortiz said.
Ortiz and his wife have been shop owners at Fiesta de Reyes since 2009. They had to close for three months during the pandemic but ultimately reopened.
He says seeing the nearby restaurant, Casa de Reyes, open and busy gives him hope.
"When they're not here, it's really tough. They're the engine of the whole business," Ortiz said.
People out eating Tuesday say they're just happy to be out again, minus so many restrictions. California lifted its reopening tiers on Tuesday, allowing businesses to operate without capacity or social distancing restrictions.
At Fiesta de Reyes, the signs asking people to wear face coverings are gone, along with the social distancing markers on the ground. Workers are still wearing face masks and taking other health and safety precautions until further guidance from Cal/OSHA later this week.
Ortiz says there is definitely a celebratory feeling right now, one that he's ready to make the most of.
"They wanna be outside, they wanna you know be in the festivities and that's kinda contagious. We like to be here," said Ortiz.
