Pete’s Cafe in Belmont Reopens

By Robinson Perez

After being shut down for two years, Pete’s Cafe in Belmont is back in business.

“I missed working here,” said the owner Max Romero. While the cafe was closed, Romero had to take another job so he could hold onto the cafe in hopes of opening it again. “It was hard because we had to work for somebody to get money to get the city to let us keep the apartment and the cafe,” Romero said. “I love it here, everybody is happy, feels great to be back.”

In March of 2015, a fire started on the second floor of the building housing Pete’s Cafe and forced it to close its doors. On February 1, the cafe reopened and it’s as busy as it was before the fire two years ago, thanks to its delicious menu including pancakes, cheesecake, and their special broiled tilapia.

“It’s great to see this place back,” said Steve Guillen, who was a frequent visitor. “The menu is the same, the food good, it’s like how it was before.” Guillen said he was happy to see the cafe back because it reminds of when he came to eat there after class. “I use to come here a couple times a week after school with friends,” Guillen said. “It was kind of like a hangout spot for students.”

Ortensa Jimenez, Romero’s wife, says it is a relief to back. “The other jobs I had were difficult,” she said. “I missed it a lot. I love seeing it full, seeing people working, a lot of customers eating our food. That’s why I love to work here.”

Dolores Hernandez, who has been employed there for three years, was said she was really happy to get the call that the place was opening again. “I like working here more than my other jobs because it’s closer to my home,” she said.

Despite Pete’s Cafe being closed for nearly two years, business is still going well. “At first it was slow, said Jimenez. “But more and more people came and now it’s just like how it was years ago.”