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Saturday, September 26, 2009

Serving Up Facts on Garduños

By David J. GarduÑO
Founder, Garduño's Mexican Restaurants
          Over the past few months there have been widespread and one-sided reports pertaining to the Garduño's on the Green negotiations with the City of Albuquerque. I wish to take this opportunity to offer Garduño's perspective, clarify several inaccuracies and respond to a letter to the editor published in the Albuquerque Journal on Sept. 7.
        We recently concluded difficult and complex lease negotiations with the City of Albuquerque over our banquet facility at the Balloon Park. While both parties worked diligently to arrive at an agreeable outcome, in the end we decided based upon our experience at that remote site and the tenor of the negotiations that ending our tenancy was in the best interest of Garduño's.
        City officials publicly claimed on numerous occasions that Garduño's owes them excess rent over and above what we have paid. These claims were made without the benefit of an audit to determine what, if anything, was due to them. It was a guess made by a city official without any training or credentials in accounting. The guess provided to the media did not include any lawful and reasonable deductions. For example, Garduño's has paid 100 percent of the facility's electric bill since 2001, including substantial use of electricity by the Albuquerque Golf Academy, without reimbursement from the city as required in the lease. We have also paid to have the Golf Academy heated for eight years, again without reimbursement. The electrical offset, in addition to several others, could completely or nearly eliminate monies owed to the City of Albuquerque.
        One citizen, claiming to be a business consultant, stated to the media that the city's taxpayers are the losers because the city didn't beat us up enough or seize our liquor license. Neither point makes sense as the city only loses because a good, eight-year tenant is leaving a city-owned facility where the basic rent is paid and current. Additionally, as in all New Mexico liquor businesses located on taxpayer property, the taxpayers already own the liquor license and always have and it cannot be resold for private use. Contrary to his assertion, Albuquerque will not lose a dime from this negotiation.
        In 40 years of serving generations of Albuquerque families, the Garduño's family has never shirked its civic responsibility, and we do not intend to start now. The family and our more than 450 co-workers love serving you, your family and your guests great New Mexican food. As proud New Mexico natives, my family and I are deeply invested in continuing with the very finest of homemade New Mexican cuisine.
        We look forward to serving you and yours for many years to come and will forever be grateful to our guests for their loyal patronage.
        David J. Garduño is a native New Mexican who opened his first New Mexican Restaurant in 1969.