PITTSBURGH, Pa. (PTTP) – On Jan. 31, 2023 Mad Mex Oakland, a Mexican grill restaurant, announced its permanent closing. Mad Mex has been open for over 30 years since 1983, with only a temporary closing in 2020 due to the Coronavirus. On their Facebook page, the restaurant cited “ongoing staffing and operational challenges” as main difficulties in keeping the location open.
Oakland residents are devastated about this sudden change. Alumni and students alike have been voicing their feelings on social media. Donald Prophete, a visual market coordinator at Pitt, stated “I used to frequent Mad Mex a lot when I was in college.” A current sophomore Rachel Kriley mentioned the difficulties of closing a business in a college environment: “I think a lot of people are going to be out of jobs with Mad Mex closing.”
Many different restaurants have come in and out of Oakland, such as the Original Hotdog Shop and Thirsty Scholars, which all closed due to the effects of the Coronavirus. Kriley stated “[closing because] of Covid makes sense, you know, especially being in a college where we’re not here for the summer. I think that affected Mad Mex with their employees.” Although Oakland’s location of Mad Mex is now gone, there is still a Shady Side location that’s simply a bus ride away. New restaurants are constantly opening in the Oakland area for locals to try.
