Bronx restaurant struggling to stay open after owner diagnosed with brain tumor
BRONX (WABC) -- The owner of a Soundview restaurant says they are struggling to keep business open after her mother, the restaurant's cook, was diagnosed with a brain tumor.
Virginia, who took over 'A Taste of France' three decades ago, was diagnosed with a brain tumor. In the past few months, her daughter who is now the owner has had to close the restaurant a few days a week to take care of her mom.
This caused customers to think they were closed for good, she said. And now they are struggling to stay open.
She wants people to know they're back to being open six days a week.
Her mother, Virginia, continues to oversee the authentic Puerto Rican dishes that they started with 30 years ago.
The 81-year-old still makes bread pudding by hand.
"This is extremely hard because you know we've been about the community, we've been about a place of not only serving wonderful food, but we've been a place of joy, a place of always giving back," Maribel Gonzales, Virginia's daughter said.
For 30 years, the restaurant was lively with Virginia singing and cooking for her customers.
They even survived the COVID pandemic, donating 2,000 meals to hospitals in the Bronx.
This spring Virginia was diagnosed with a brain tumor.
"We don't know if it's cancerous or not, but we know it's there. We know that it's starting to affect her mobility, her sight, her speech, her hearing. And apparently, it will worsen. And she's still a fighter nonetheless," Gonzalez said.
All the medical treatments forced mother and daughter to close the restaurant for days at a time and they say that may have confused their customers.
"The inconsistency and people thinking that that we were closed permanently. And so now we're trying to create awareness to tell people that we're still here, we're still open," Gonzalez said.
The restaurant, called the South of France, was the name of the former restaurant. They kept the name and no one minded for 3 decades. Now they are months behind on rent and at risk of eviction.
They are desperate for neighbors to know, the kitchen is open again.
"It's beyond devastating because she's not only my mother, my friend, my business associate, my partner, but she is not only my mother, but she's everybody's mother. They call her Mama," Gonzalez said.
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