Hispanic business owners hoping to return to normal after Border Patrol operation

GASTONIA, N.C. — You could sit almost anywhere you wanted at El Sombrero Bakery Monday.

It’s the holiday shopping season, foot traffic should be up.

Some people in the Hispanic community just don’t feel safe being in public after the images they saw last week.

Normally you would have to fight for a good parking spot for lunch at El Sombrero.

It was wide open Monday.

Anna Damelines had a pick of any table she wanted.

“It’s just empty,” she said.

That has Damelines feeling a little empty inside.

“It kinda hurt because it’s my community,” she said. “They are still not convinced to come out.”

Damelines said many of her friends are still afraid to come out into the public. Businesses throughout the Charlotte region said they saw a drop last week, when agents from Customs and Border Protection arrested more than 370 people in a span of five days.

But businesses that cater to the Hispanic community saw the biggest hit so far.

“40% down in sales,” said Giovani Herrera, the owner. “We stay like eight years here, it’s the first time we saw that.”

Only during COVID, he said, when everyone shut down. He said business was back up before lunch, but still about 10% lower than normal.

“It’s scary for everybody,” Herrera said. “I’m scared.”

But he is still open and hoping things will get back to normal.

“I hope things change, definitely,” he said.

Herrera said online sells have picked up, and that’s good. He and others just hope people haven’t lost the sense of security.

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