Jasmyn Brendle
The economy of small towns everywhere has been struggling this past year, and Alamosa is no different, unfortunately. Since January 2019, the restaurant scene in downtown Alamosa has seen some sudden changes, not all of them being positive. The Purple Pig has reopened after renovations as a pizzeria and pub, while other restaurants have closed their doors forever. The Bistro Rialto, a local Italian restaurant run by the Holtcamps closed January 1st after 15 years of business, due to the owner’s ongoing battle with cancer. It will be a loss to the community, and it’s not the only one to hit this year. Franchise businesses struggle to keep enough income in a college town due to the lack of new and returning people in town. Some restaurants, like IHOP have had to drop back hours, while others close entirely. Nestlé Toll House Café has closed its doors effective January 31 st due to corporate financial standings. Many of Nestlé’s smaller stores and mall kiosks have closed at the end of 2018 and the beginning of 2019–some without much warning to the surrounding community. The Alamosa location is no exception. A simple sign on the door of the store was all there was to inform the community about its closing. However, the closings may not be completely negative for the community. These unoccupied locations may give opportunities for new and different places to open up downtown, such as affordable eateries for poor college students or maybe a retail store that would be useful to the people of Alamosa. Although it is sad to hear about the closings of the Bistro Rialto and Nestlé Toll House, new adventures await the town of Alamosa. Beginnings always hide themselves in ends.
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