Bonnie Alcaraz of Uri's Kitchen is on the verge of losing her restaurant after revealing that she suffered years of violent abuse from her husband and co-owner, David Alcaraz. Courtesy photo.
Trigger warning: This article contains descriptions of repeated spousal abuse and links to videos showing ongoing abuse. If you are a victim in need of evacuation, treatment, and support, there are organizations that can help. One in the Houston metropolitan area is Houston Area Women's Center. Visit our website [助けが必要]Click the button or call the Domestic Violence Hotline at (713) 528-2121.Help is also available people who have been sexually assaulted and The kids Those affected by abuse.
Bonnie Alcarazco-owner of Uriz Kitchen After going public with spousal abuse at the hands of her husband and business partner, the woman at 8021 Research Forest Drive in The Woodlands has racked up debt, had her bank account seized and faced closing her restaurant. There is. David “Ulices” Alcaraz. The situation became public after Bonnie posted several videos showing David violently punching her in a restaurant after hours. his facebook page.
According to Bonnie, the incident happened in June 2023. The video, posted just after midnight on April 23, went viral after being posted by a man named Robbie Harvey. Edited version on Instagramhe has over 455,000 followers, and unedited versionon X (formerly known as Twitter), along with a mug shot of David Alcaraz.
David Alcaraz is arrested on March 20th At home after further abuse including hitting Bonnie with a wine bottle. He was charged with “assault with a deadly weapon” and is currently being held in the Montgomery County Jail. Bonnie said the couple had been married for seven years, but the abuse started during their first year of marriage and escalated dramatically over the past year as the restaurant's financial pressures increased.
Bonnie Alcaraz is a native Houstonian and has also lived in Tomball. She and David started the restaurant in May 2021, with her handling the management side and him handling the food side. They moved to The Woodlands, near the restaurant, last May, which Bonnie calls a “godsend” because she no longer has a 35-minute commute.
After David's arrest, Bonnie announced on the restaurant's Facebook page that she was closing the restaurant, without mentioning the newly revealed seven years of abuse. Her decision has as much to do with finances as it does with her partner being in prison. Bonnie said the restaurant's debt to the Texas Comptroller's Office began increasing in December.
“During Christmas, I fell a little behind on my state taxes,” Bonnie explained. “It wasn't insurmountable, but I knew I couldn't let this go. I got a call about it around Christmas, and I said, 'Let's be aggressive and pay it back.'Things were going smoothly, but every time [the restaurant] If it's been a good week, it's going to be a bad week. ”
The amount currently being paid to the Comptroller's Office is approximately $13,000. Bonnie said the auditor froze the company's bank account last Friday. “When that happened, I just thought, 'Well, this is it.' I don't have a lawyer or deep pockets,” she says, closing the business without debt and leaving all of her employees behind. She also said it was important to her to ensure that employees were paid a fair salary. “I don't want my employees to corner me just to get my last paycheck,” she said. “I want you to come up with a plan.” The Comptroller's Office lifted the hold (after collecting all but about $200), but if taxes are not paid in full, including for March and April, May The assets are scheduled to be seized on the 8th.
Because of the audit lien, Bonnie can't even sell the restaurant's assets, such as kitchen equipment. He expects the debt to the agency to rise to about $25,000 by early May. Furthermore, the fact that the co-owner of Uri's Kitchen is in prison means it is unlikely that she will be able to renew her TABC license.
Bonnie's exit announcement reads:
“Uli's Kitchen will be closing on May 6th. As you know, due to unfavorable economic conditions, many of us are forced to live small mom and pop lives. Thank you to all of our loyal supporters and patrons. Please consider joining us for our final Cinco de Drinko from 5pm on Friday, May 3rd until we close on Sunday night. We offer dollar house margaritas. Your support means a lot to our staff who chose to stick with us to the end. Thank you again to our customers, neighbors, and friends.”
Following the announcement of the closure, some of the restaurant's Facebook followers may have mistakenly thought it was Bonnie who was seeking support, rather than her abusive husband. “After watching the video, I understand your real reason. [sic] Closed,” he posted. David's reluctance to eat at Uri's Kitchen is understandable due to concerns that he is trying to make a profit. But Bonnie says: [entity] At the moment, it is the Board of Audit that is getting the money. ” As of this writing, the restaurant is Bonnie's only source of income, and there are no online fundraising efforts such as GoFundMe. (We will update this article if there are any changes.)
Bonnie still needs money to rebuild her life.
“You can find a job somewhere and live without any overhead,” she said. “I can get back on my feet.”
Phaedra Cook has been writing about Houston's restaurant and bar scene since 2010. she, my table He was the chief restaurant critic for the magazine (now defunct). houston press I worked there for two years and was eventually promoted to food editor. Mr. Cook founded Houston Food Finder in November 2016 and has served as its editor and publisher ever since.
