Open since mid-2018, the sister restaurant to St. Paul institution El Burrito Mercado will not reopen at 4820 Chicago Ave. after COVID-19 restrictions lift, according to co-owner Milissa Silva-Diaz.

"I’ve definitely shed some tears and prayed a lot about what to do," the second-generation restaurateur said Monday. "The restaurant was finally at a place where we connected with our customers, and it took some time to get there."

Ultimately, Silva-Diaz reports, the financial burdens caused by coronavirus-related shutdown orders proved too severe.

El Burrito Minneapolis replaced longtime south Minneapolis Mexican destination Pepitos, which shuttered in late 2017. The Silvas overhauled the space, and another remodeling effort was nearing completion. Custom furniture from Mexico had just arrived, Silva-Diaz says, and a grand re-opening had been slated for earlier this month.

"We had exciting plans that we were very confident the neighborhood was going to love and it would have been a hit," Silva-Diaz says. "Unfortunately, now, it’s just not workable under the new situation; there really wasn’t a choice for us."

The Silva family had previously opened and closed outposts in Shakopee and Midtown Global Market. El Burrito Mercado, winner of our 2018 Best Mexican Restaurant award, has operated in St. Paul since 1979. Takeout and curbside delivery is currently available from its kitchen, deli, and grocery store at 175 Cesar Chavez St.