Courtesy Photo / Texas Secretary of State's Office
San Antonio mayoral candidate Rolando Pablos gives a speech during tenure as Texas Secretary of State.
The plan from Pablos — a former Republican Texas Secretary of State — includes streamlining licensing and regulatory paperwork for restaurants, offering grants to those affected by construction and extending rent-reduction incentives.
He also seeks to create a community policing initiative to curb crime around restaurants, bolster culinary and hospitality vocational training programs and subsidize childcare for restaurant workers, according to the plan.
Pablos' proposal comes as the recent closures of well-regarded dining establishments including Pearl staple Botika, high-end Italian spot Allora and longtime Japanese favorite Godai Sushi sent the local culinary scene spinning.
"My goal on day one as your mayor will be to correct this negative trend by focussing on fixing several issues at once: labor shortages, increasing rents, rising supply chain costs, government overreach and post-COVID economic recovery," Pablos said in a statement.
Still, the plan doesn't include details on how the city would pay for the policy changes.
The proposal by Pablos — a recent entrant into the crowded race to replace termed-out Mayor Ron Nirenberg — may appeal to San Antonio bar and restaurant owners, who have shown an increased willingness to flex their political muscles.
Many in the sector have complained about the effect of construction projects and city regulations on their bottom lines as they struggle to recover from the prolonged COVID downturn.
Such grievances inspired high-profile bar and restaurant owners Aaron Peña, Jody Bailey Newman and Chad Carey to launch the Business Community PAC this summer to step up their political advocacy.
The restaurant community also played a role in the 2023 defeat of District 1 Councilman Mario Bravo. Angered over long-delayed construction on the St. Mary's Strip and unresolved disputes with neighborhood groups, many in the industry threw support behind Sukh Kaur, who now holds the office.
Subscribe to SA Current newsletters.
Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter| Or sign up for our RSS Feed
