Ulster County taqueria hit hard by COVID rules turns to fundraising to keep the doors open

A small Ulster County restaurant whose owners have gotten national attention is struggling tonight - and now they're looking for your help.

Diego's Taqueria in Kingston has been open for 7 years, but unfortunately, and like so many small businesses, it just wasn't designed for a global pandemic.

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The tiny street-style taco hot-spot has limited sidewalk space, so husband and wife owners Isaac and Elena Cruz haven't been able to rely on outdoor dining – Elena, by the way, was featured on an episode of the popular food network show “Chopped.” The pair tells CBS 6 the pandemic has been a serious adjustment to say the least, they went from having 27 employees and 2 locations, to where they are tonight.

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That other location was actually at SUNY New Paltz, which had to close due to the pandemic. Tonight - with plenty of winter still left, Elena's mother has launched a go-fund-me, something we usually see happen once a place closes - but Mr. and Mrs. Cruz say that's exactly what they're trying to avoid, and they hope this can help.

Elena Cruz:

"Everybody needs help right now, especially restaurants, but I mean everybody needs help. It felt really awkward to us to be asking for help when really everybody needs it. We really fought that for a long time."

Isaac Cruz:

"To know that we can continue to keep going an keep employing people and keep feeding the community like we dreamed of doing for so many years."

Here's a look at the go-fund-me for Diego's Taqueria. The goal is to raise $40,000, and they are now at more than $15,000. There's been more than 150 donors.

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They've even got a hashtag for it - "Dollars for Diegos." As we've been reporting, what's happening to the Cruzes is just a microcosm of what's happening across the state, and the country.

But with the vaccine rollout underway, and the prospect of another stimulus package in Washington, the hope tonight is that grassroots efforts like these, can help Diego's weather what is likely a tough winter still ahead.