Over the past year, California saw a lot of cloudy skies and plenty of rain.
According to state data, the Golden State received 141% of its average annual rainfall, making it one of the top ten wettest seasons ever experienced in over a century.
But while this deluge has brought relief to drought-prone regions, it has also brought challenges, particularly for local businesses like Mexican restaurant El Taco de México in Grover Beach.
Angie Hernández has been an owner of El Taco de México for five years and says that this past year has been the hardest so far. She blames decreased tourism on winter rains and high inflation.
“I think that prices we’re having to pay now are costing double than what they did before, especially the meats. We can’t keep up,” Hernández said.
Hers is not the only business in the area that's been affected. Gavino Gómez, longtime owner of El Taco del Mar Mexican Grill, just across the street, has also noticed a slow, problematic season.
And whether customers show up or not, he still has bills to pay.
Grover Beach city officials say there was a dip in receipts for July and August compared to last year, despite those months not usually being known for lots of rainy days.
A look at sales tax numbers also shows a 15% decrease.
The drop has forced business owners like Hernández to make significant changes to menu prices and cut down on employee hours.
It’s a move that workers understand, but it's also a source of concern.
“I have children, and I’m a single mom and now I have to try to find another option," said Merida Arroyo, an employee at El Taco de México. "I have been seriously thinking about looking for another part-time job to be able to cover all of my expenses now.”
For Gómez, changes to the prices of his tacos and cutting workers' hours have not been his only measures to alleviate the problem. He says he plans to set up a food stand in front of his restaurant, hoping to tempt more people in the community with the smell of his homemade tacos.
While city officials recognize there is a nationwide decrease in spending due to the impacts of higher inflation, they say it is too soon to predict whether this downward trend in tourism spending will be here to stay.
