COLORADO SPRINGS — Amid COVID-19 concerns, Colorado restaurants are forced to operate on takeout and delivery orders alone, and many have been left feeling the financial strain. One of those restaurants is Western Omelette in Colorado Springs, which announced Sunday would be their last day in business for the foreseeable future.
Hundreds of people put in takeout orders on Sunday, packing the parking lot with cars. Many waited outside for their food to practice physical distancing, while still showing their support for Western Omelette, which has been in business for 28 years. "I've been coming here since it opened. I was here the first week it opened," said Hardy Wright, a customer.
Many at the restaurant said they had been eating there since they were children. "It's hard not to cry about it, you know, something close to you... If you can support a small business, support the small business," said Angel Valerio, who showed up to the restaurant when they had run out of food because of the volume of orders.
Despite the orders taking a few hours, the customers said it was all worth it. "We'll wait as long as we need to, I just wanted to show up today to support Western Omelette," said Janie Schwamman, a Colorado Springs resident who was waiting on her order.
In a YouTube video posted Saturday, those with Western Omelette said they are closing because payroll continued to exceed their income. "It's sad we have to close right now due to the lack of business, and there's a lot of us suffering, but we're not going to quit. God willing, we'll be back," said Bill Borders, the owner of Western Omelette.
There are two other Western Omelette locations in Fountain and Calhan. Borders said those two are doing well at the moment, and will stay open.
News5 will keep you updated on what happens to the Colorado Springs location, when restaurants are allowed to go back to business as usual. Right now, the restrictions are in place until April 30.
