Originally published November 19, 2009 at 12:37 p.m., updated November 19, 2009 at 12:38 p.m.
Las Palma's Authentic Mexican restaurant closed its doors on Wednesday. The restaurant, located at 2715 N. Belt Highway, was owned by Rick Palma and had been in business since 1995.
According to employees, the morning shift workers were called at home and told not to report to work and that the restaurant would be closed indefinitely. They were not told if the closure was temporary or when it would possibly reopen. The restaurant employed approximately 30 people the dining room, lounge and kitchen areas.
The building was once home to Rancho Santa Fe restaurant. A Josephine Ladies Night Out event was schedule for Thursday night at the local restaurant but because of the closing the venue has changed. The event is from 5 to 7 p.m. at El Jalapeno, located at 707 Edmond St.
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WhoisJohnGalt says...
I wonder if they had a smoking section....... ;)
November 19, 2009 at 1:12 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gocubbies says...
This is to bad. I loved eating there, and with the occasional "Sunday Funday" with good friends. I hope everything is ok with Rick, and not something wrong in order to close so suddenly. By the was WIJG, yes they did have a smoking section in the bar area.
November 19, 2009 at 1:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
WhoisJohnGalt says...
Twas merely a joke, cubbie. I was poking fun at the smoking debate. That said, I hate to see ANY business close it's doors. Times are tough and getting tougher. I read the U-6 (unemployed/underemployed/no longer looking) is approaching 20%. We are far from out of the woods.
November 19, 2009 at 1:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
akm says...
I'm going to miss the taco's. :(
November 19, 2009 at 2:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
stjoegirl says...
I loved their tacos. If they close for good. I hope that someone else gets the formula!
November 19, 2009 at 2:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gocubbies says...
WIJG: I figured you were, just trying to inform the uninformed. LOL. The tacos were great, but they by far had the best fajitas in town.
November 19, 2009 at 2:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
megafrog says...
This is a shame. I hope they reopen or the employees are able to find jobs soon.
November 19, 2009 at 3:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
yakyak says...
IN THIS ECONOMY IT IS TOO BAD THAT ANOTHER BUSINESS HAS BIT THE DUST. IT MAKES YOU WONDER WHO IS NEXT??
November 19, 2009 at 3:45 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
blazer6465 says...
It is a shame, I used to eat at Las Palmas very regularly, but with the economy, we had to scale back to eating out less and eating at hom more, Rick, thanks for all of the good food, and great service. I will really miss your blended margaritas.
November 19, 2009 at 4:56 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
heritage_sarahhochschwender says...
?ijg.... we are just entering the darkest and spookiest part of the unenchanted forest. the trail of bread crumbs is being eaten by the birds.......
every day it seems like there are more signs of the really deep doodoo ahead. i try to be an optimist, but times are really scary.
sorry as heck to hear that 30 more folks are going to be suffering.
November 19, 2009 at 5:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
WhoisJohnGalt says...
Yup, I just read (posted at 16:17) that Gray Manufacturing is laying off people. So much for "The recession is a boon for auto repair business" that the national media has been touting. Too bad, Gray makes some excellent equipment. I own several pieces of their equipment and it is first class. The fact of the matter is no matter how you wish and want folks can't spend money they don't have. Manufacturing has been struck, retail is faltering, and with retail goes a lot of commercial real estate. Service industries are feeling the pinch. Housing? Fugetaboutit. This is broader and deeper than anyone in power will admit.
November 19, 2009 at 6:28 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mm1967 says...
And they want people to believe that the unemployment rate is dropping.Just wait and see when people can apply for the third extention the goverment has approved and they will see the people who dropped off of the unemployment numbers come back on them now since there is a third extention and people have still found no jobs.I think good paying manufacturing jobs are a thing of the past for a while and now it is catching up with services provider businesses.
November 19, 2009 at 7:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sweetgal2day says...
Too bad, but that's the way the taco crumbles in St. Joseph, MO. No one is safe unless you can get TIF money from the city council. Maybe Rick should apply like all the chain restaurants do.
November 19, 2009 at 9:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ApparentlySo says...
Which restaurants have gotten a TIF?
November 19, 2009 at 10:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Rabble_Rouser says...
Didn't Em Chamas Brazilian Grill just get a big helping of TIF approval? I would also say that all the all the restaurants at The Shoppes got TIF money. How about the ones in the mall, and then there are The Commons as well.
November 19, 2009 at 10:48 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
rk92559 says...
If your established and an older business..you will get nothing. That money is reserved for new places, so they can point to them and show how we are growing and how swell the economy is. You know..like a Brazilian Steakhouse in the wasteland you call downtown,that nobody would put thier money in unless it is free money.Go to a bank and tell them you want that amount of money to open a steakhouse in that building and they will laugh in your face.
Aside from the fact that food places here come and go, one closes and one opens down the street, it is just standard for st joe to not care about any place that is here already going out of business. We have new places opening in the new part of town.And when that gets old..we can ignore them and build new somewhere else.
November 19, 2009 at 11:10 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
LibertyOrDeath says...
Did anyone else hear the rumor about Barbosa's Castle closing downtown?
November 20, 2009 at 6:55 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
heritage_sarahhochschwender says...
em chamas is financed through ARRA.
http://www.stjoenews.net/news/2009/no...
November 20, 2009 at 7:15 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Rabble_Rouser says...
OOooo that's right heritage it was the building that they are in not the restaurant. But wait aren't the building owners also investors in the Em Chamas. I suppose they haven't actually gotten the TIF yet merely applied but I doubt very seriously they won't get it.
http://www.stjoenews.net/news/2009/no...
November 20, 2009 at 8:11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
arch286 says...
Remember when the shoppes were preparing to open how a local restaurant owner tried to get all the local owned restaurants to form a marketing group, but there was NO interest.
November 20, 2009 at 8:39 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sense says...
Its sad to see any business close, however we have had more stores open and restaurants open in the past five years than close. As for tiff funding, no business in the North got tiff funds, tiff funds were put to the develpment of the area not for business to open. The downtown Tiff is paid back from the revenue of the business that uses it.
The problem here again is that everyone thinks this is a unique problem to St. Jospeh, local businesses all over are facing more and more competition everyday. The problem with most business owners is that they want to see a finish line, where you don't have to work as hard as you did when you started, the problem is you have to work ten times harder today then you ever did. You can't feel like the victum, you have to fight, get more invovleved in the community, advertise more, reinvent yourself. People don't owe you thier business you must always earn it. If you want to sit around and blame the economy, city goverment, health reform, then you will soon be closing your doors. Somebody is going out to eat tommorrow, may be fewer or more than yesterday, that fact does not matter, what does matter is, are they chosing to go to your location, and what are you going to do to make sure that happens.
November 20, 2009 at 9:17 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
chara says...
sad to see rick close,will miss the tacos too. the dinner buffet though was my favorite. hope maybe we will see them again,but whatever we would like to say thanks rick. hes what we call good pepole.
November 20, 2009 at 10:36 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ApparentlySo says...
The Mall got a TIF. Not the restaurants. I didn't see any other restaurant that got a TIF either Are you sure you know what you are talking about?
November 24, 2009 at 1:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ApparentlySo says...
I wouldn't eat there because the one time I went it was so smokey I couldn't breathe the second I walked in the door. Businesses will come and go but if you are only trying to serve a fraction of the population you'll probably do more going than coming.
November 29, 2009 at 2:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )