SPRINGFIELD – In the last seven years, Luis Morales survived the coronavirus pandemic along with mental and economic struggles to keep his beloved restaurant alive. But the current landscape of owning a restaurant has caught up to Morales, causing the Springfield restaurant to close.
Roots Latin Grill at 4127 Wabash Ave. will close on May 22, after closing in on a decade of service to the community.
Morales, who is originally from the Bolivian city of Cochabamba, left a heartfelt message to fans of the restaurant on social media May 21 about his journey to America, leading him to the restaurant industry in Springfield.
He also operated SOCAVON cocktail bar, which opened next to Roots in 2023, before closing at the end of 2025 also due to financial struggles.
Roots Latin Grill featured classics from south of the border with a twist, with traditional arepas, empanadas, to more unique dishes like causa, a Peruvian dish served cold with mashed potatoes and chicken.
“I never thought I would move to the United States, and I never thought I would open a restaurant,” Morales said. “I had an idea of my future, it was totally different from what I am today. … But like many people would say, life is unpredictable, gives you surprises and takes you to far away places.”
Morales said running a small business in Springfield is complicated and hard to spot a financially declining business, because there will be rush days that can mislead expectations because “a couple hours on one or two decent days don’t make up for a slow week,” and the days of full reservations are long gone.
“I cannot keep up with the business anymore, there are so many factors that made this unsustainable,” Morales said. “Over the last years I have been putting everything of myself into this business trying to keep it afloat, and it has taken a big toll for me, economically, mentally, emotionally and physically. I truly wish things would be different, but I have no other option, it is what it is.”
He thanked his past and current staff as well as all the customers who gave their loyalty for his business through the years.
Claire Grant writes about business, growth and development and other news topics for The State Journal-Register. She can be reached at CLGrant@usatodayco.com; and on X (Formerly known as Twitter): @Claire_Granted
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Upscale Bolivian restaurant closing its doors in Springfield
Reporting by Claire Grant, Springfield State Journal-Register / State Journal-Register
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