'A Privilege To Serve This Community': Ramona's Mexican Restaurant Closing In Beaumont

BEAUMONT, CA — A longtime Beaumont staple known well-known locally for its Mexican food will close its doors on January 11, 2025, the owners announced this week.

"It is with a mix of gratitude and heavy hearts that we, the Vargas family, announce the closure of Ramona's Mexican Café after more than five decades of serving this wonderful community. Our last day of operation will be January 11th 2025," the business said over a Facebook post.

The Vargas family first opened Ramona's in 1972, at 249 W. 6th Street. They said they dreamed of sharing "food and traditions" with the community.

"Over the years, it's become so much more than just a restaurant. Ramona's has been a place where neighbors gather, families celebrate, and memories are made. Seeing your familiar faces and meeting new ones along the way has been the heart of our journey."

The family spokesperson said the closure is due to challenges faced in recent years.

"(It's) become too much for us to continue. Rising costs in supplies, inflation, increases in minimum wage, and mandatory infrastructure upgrades required by the city have made it impossible to sustain our small family business," they wrote in a Facebook message. "After a lot of thought and prayer, we've decided it's time to retire and close this chapter of our lives."

The family expressed their thankfulness for support through the years.

One Facebook commenter said this was "a very sad day for Beaumont."

Another shared she'd been dining at the restaurant for 50 years. Others posted memories of family events held there, including a loved one's memorial reception as recently as a few weeks before.

Some supporters blamed the rising costs due to minimum wage laws.

"This just is heartbreaking," one commenter said. "We have all lost a great family-owned restaurant to inflation and this governor raising minimum wages. So sad."

Many expressed their gratitude to the family for years of good food and company.

"This restaurant and the family that runs it have been a staple in our community for so many years. Thank you for all the wonderful food, memories, and friendship throughout the years. You will be missed."

The Vargas family had one final message to all, before they close their doors on January 11, saying:

"You've welcomed us into your lives, and we've been blessed to share in your stories, laughter, and milestones," they said. "It has been a privilege to serve this community for so many years, and we'll carry those memories with us forever. While this is a bittersweet goodbye, we hope to see many of you in these final weeks before we close.

"Thank you for being a part of our family and for making Ramona's such a special place for so long."

Be sure and visit before Jan. 11, 2025, when the restaurant will permanently close.