‘It's really upsetting': San Jose businesses frustrated over Viva Calle street closures

Viva Calle is one of San Jose's marquee events, but many businesses say it's hurting their bottom line.

As part of the festivities, the city shuts down streets, like Alum Rock Avenue, so people can bike and walk from Almaden Valley all the way to the east side. The next Viva Calle event is scheduled for Sunday, June 9.

Marco Hernandez, whose restaurant is located on Alum Rock Avenue, said the city's celebration is a nightmare for business.

"Sunday is the day that we make profit, Saturday and Sunday," he said.

Hernandez said winter sales were bad, and with the struggling economy, he can't afford to lose his biggest sales days of the week.

NBC Bay Area heard similar stories at several stores along Alum Rock Avenue.

"We’re a small business," Javier Sandoval at El Nuevo Rancho Grande said. "One day affects us, especially because weekdays are really slow. On the weekends is when we do the sales. If they close the street, we have no access for my customers to come in."

"What can I do? I need to pay bills, I need to pay the people who help me," Daniel Ornelas at Perfect Events explained.

Maria De La Torre said her bakery is going to have to close that Sunday.

Viva Calle draws thousands of people to perhaps bike or walk through parts of the city they’ve never been to, but the merchants wonder if that discovery comes at too high a cost.

"My job is to elevate their concerns and work with the city to make sure that as we do these events that the community appreciates, that we don’t leave behind our immigrant merchants," Councilman Peter Ortiz said.

Ortiz said the city needs to find ways to make the small businesses a bigger part of the festivities.

Sandoval said he’s seen no promotional benefit each time the city closes his street and no residual sales.

"They can go to Alum Rock Park. To walk, they can go to the park," he said. "They don’t have to shut down the streets. Honestly, it’s really upsetting."