BP BUSINESS PROFILE
“I still have the passion. There is a passion in creating something for the public.”
PHOTO: Tiffany Brooks
Jesse Cantu: Mexican, Italian and the American dream Elisa Claassen Jesse Cantu returned from a Florida vacation in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak. Arriving on a Friday night with a few delays — including dropping off another couple struggling to find transportation home — Cantu immediately faced Gov. Jay Inslee’s order closing various businesses, including restaurants, as a protective measure. Ouch. Not only does Cantu own a restaurant, he owns four of them. That includes three Jalapeños restaurant locations — in downtown Bellingham, Barkley Village and Fairhaven — and Luna’s Bistro. Did COVID-19 take him by surprise? “Yes, it did.” Fortunately, he and his son Daniel Cantu, hi.”right-hand man” at work, already had been working on being more competitive prior to the COVID-19 issue. “The food industry is changing,” Jesse Cantu said.”Most
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grocery stores have a restaurant inside, and there’s a lot of competition with Mexican food.” Even eateries of other types include Mexican dishes on their menus, he said, such as tacos. Being more competitive meant investing in bringing food to people. “It’s full speed ahead on deliveries,” he said. He ordered two vans in December 2019, and a third is to come soon. The vehicles will allow for delivery and full-service catering offerings. Cantu announced on Facebook March 21 that they were ready to start deliveries and bring food directly to patrons sequestered at home to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Good food still can be made and enjoyed, Cantu said, but it could be hard on profit margins since 10 of his employees are salaried, not hourly. Each purchase represents the creation of work hours. Another result of COVID-19 has been the strong aware-
