Rio Grande, a Mexican restaurant in Athens known for its margaritas and enchiladas, will close its doors Sunday evening — possibly for good.
The establishment, which operated in Athens for the past decade, is closing for tax reasons with no immediate plans to reopen, said Eliseo Garcia, Rio Grande's manager.
"All the money that's coming in is paying for taxes," Garcia said, adding that this is the first year he's had problems paying the tax bill.
Rio Grande, 122 W. Union St., owes the Internal Revenue Service $20,092, according to a document from the IRS that Garcia provided to The Post.
"We don't do enough business to cover the bills. It's really slow right now," said Jose Solis, the restaurant's owner, adding that the establishment might reopen in the fall when students return.
Solis declined to comment further on money owed to the federal government until he spoke with his Certified Public Accountant.
Garcia said a lack of business is not why Rio Grande will cease mixing margaritas before students are back in the fall and placed the blame chiefly on the establishment's tax problems. He said he doesn't know when — if ever — Rio will be back in business.
"Business tied to students is OK. Summer is down," Garcia said. "All business is (good)."
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This is a developing story. Stick with The Post and @ThePostLocal for more updates.
