A little over a month after Valentino Carrillo opened La Frontera Mexican Restaurant in East Oakland last winter, the COVID pandemic hit and upended his business plans.
Just as he was preparing to launch a backyard patio drag brunch service on Sundays last March, the viral outbreak led public health officials to order restaurants to end indoor dining.
Carrillo, a gay man well known in the East Bay's nightlife community, decided to completely close the restaurant for two weeks.
He was concerned remaining open would put his staff at risk, especially the older women working for him. As it became clear the health crisis would not subside anytime soon, he held a meeting with his employees to decide what to do.