"Take Yolanda’s Tamales, a small Mexican restaurant and tamale factory tucked on a side street between a cluster of industrial businesses. It’s a true family operation run by Yolanda Vega, her son Andres Yanez, and his wife Sandra. They’re not blind to the challenges many of their colleagues are currently facing. “These are very scary times in the world,” Sandra Yanez says. “We feel the pressure.” At Yolanda’s, however, not much has changed since the coronavirus shutdown. Business is still good. Yanez chalks up the restaurant’s success to the fact they have a loyal customer base, affordable daily food specials, the support of the community, and an ability to promote via social media. They’ve even been a lot busier than usual on Tuesdays, when their tacos are $1, and Thursdays, when their tamales are $2. The only thing that’s suffered is the sense of interpersonal connection. “We definitely miss our customers eating and talking in the dining room,” Yanez says." - Illyanna Maisonet