Angels rally around Marion business
Staff writer
Jonathan and Leora Ramirez still don’t know the name of one of their angels.
But they want Marion to know the community is full of them.
The couple were blindsided when an outbreak of COVID-19 forced them to close the dining room of their restaurant, Cazadores, and its brand new buffet.
Since then, they have been hit with acts of kindness that have humbled and encouraged them.
The first shock was a check from Marion’s Kiwanis club which is paying to hold its meeting space at the restaurant for the next three months.
“We were completely surprised by a check for $200,” Leora Ramirez said.
Kiwanis usually meets in a back room at Cazadores once a week and has lunch there.
“We hope that will give them a boost, a little bit to help them stay afloat,” said Chris Mercer, club president.
Mercer said he would like to know that their meeting space is secure.
“We intend to return there and continue meetings after this passes,” he said.
Another grace note was a random $100 from a stranger, sent in an envelope with no return address.
“We are thinking of you during this pandemic. Hope you can stay in business. We like your food and your kindness,” read a note tucked in with the cash.
“We were just overwhelmed by it,” she said, adding they still don’t know who sent it.
Even more humbling, Ramirez said, are their regular customers like Newton attorney Joe Robb who show up faithfully every week and leave generous tips when they don’t need to.
Seeing their regular diners return — even for takeout — has kept them going through recent power outages that caused their food to spoil, a loss that defeated the purpose of opening the doors.
“We want to thank all of our customers and thank everyone for supporting us,” Ramirez said.
Cazadores is open for takeout from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Last modified April 16, 2020