Tamaulipas restaurant becomes community kitchen, serving nearly 5,000

June 9, 2020

Staff at La Posta hand out meals to needy neighbors in Tampico.

Recognizing that tough economic times were ahead for those in need, a couple in Tampico, Tamaulipas, decided to turn their seafood restaurant into a community kitchen.

Since the coronavirus pandemic began they have served weekly meals to more than 5,000 people, most of them unemployed or elderly.

Owners Alfredo Villanueva Zúñiga and Mariela García Ortiz decided to open the doors of La Posta on March 26 and started by giving out take-out boxes of picadillo, a traditional dish of ground beef and vegetables, to local residents impacted by the pandemic.

They have continued to do so every Thursday for the past three months, serving up to 350 of their appreciative neighbors each week as news of their generosity spread on social media.

Last Thursday, García’s birthday, the couple ended the food giveaway in style, offering more than 500 tamales to families including children and the elderly who waited patiently in line.

“May God bless you and give you more,” senior citizen Juana Andrade told the couple as she received her tamales and soda.

The restaurant’s owners said they drew satisfaction from helping those in need and thanked those who helped out by donating supplies. The couple looks forward to welcoming customers back to La Posta as coronavirus restrictions are lifted.