SAN ANTONIO —  Sergio Calderon’s TV isn’t blasting what the rest of the world is usually watching. Ask him. 

“When everybody is switching channels on TV for sports, I’m switching channels for food,” Calderon said.

Calderon’s pretty much cooked his whole life, from his early days in Puebla, Mexico, to working at diners and restaurants in New York City. He’s mastered the art of crafting a delicious meal, and has brought it to Texas.

“I cook the way we do In Mexico. Chilaquiles is simple but very tasty; huevos rancheros is the same thing, simple and tasty,” he said. 

That’s why he opened his restaurant, Panchos and Gringos, on San Antonio’s East Side — to share his love of food. But right now it’s severely understaffed due to COVID. 

“Sometimes I’m like, what am I doing? Is it really worth it to stay?” he said. 

Those are the types of thoughts that surface, especially when dishes are piling up, tons of customers are flowing in and it’s only two men and one dish washer. 

“We are going to have the problem with the employees for a while. This isn’t going to be fixed in a month or so,” Calderon said.

According to the Texas Restaurant Association, approximately 9,000 restaurants have closed since March 2020, but Calderon has stuck it out. He credits his understanding customers, who have volunteered to work the register for a couple of weekends. 

“Thank God. Because of that, that made me stay. I love my customers. First of all, they start out as a customer, then they became friends,” he said. 

Sergio Calderon chats with his customers at his restaurant, Panchos and Gringos. (Spectrum News 1/Jose Arredondo)

Panchos and Gringos is slammed on the weekends. In the back corner is a painting of a customer-turned-friend, 83-year-old Curley Mays. He has a table reserved for him at all times, hence the self-portrait on the wall. 

“I wish him all of the success, he’s a good guy. I always try to bring him a lot of customers,” Mays said.

Calderon says Panchos and Gringos is staying a float for two reasons: his love of food and the relationships he built in the community. 

“I can sit down with them and talk about different things, sometimes we try to repair the world,” Calderon said.