Puerto Rican restaurants in Chicago experienced a significant surge in business on Sunday, coinciding with Bad Bunny’s highly anticipated halftime performance. Restaurant owners reported an unusually high volume of orders, with some likening the day to major holidays.
Gaby Figueroa, co-owner of Borinquen in North Center, described the scene: “The day of it, it was just a madhouse. We, at some point, had to completely turn off our delivery platforms. At some point I think we were at about a 30-minute delay on most pickup orders. Which, considering how many orders we had, I think my team did a really, really great job.”
Borinquen received numerous catering requests leading up to Sunday and faced continuous calls for last-minute takeout orders during the event itself. Popular items included alcapurrias, pastelillos, and large trays of rice. Figueroa noted the intensity of the day: “And I can’t tell you how many trays of rice. It was a lot of rice. We were cooking all day long. I have a total of five cooks that I rotate in the kitchen. And we were all hands on deck Sunday. And even … with everyone coming in a little bit early to help, it was absolutely insane.”
Bad Bunny’s halftime show served as both entertainment and cultural celebration for Puerto Ricans and fans worldwide. The performance featured notable guests such as Giancarlo Guerrero, Lady Gaga, Pedro Pascal and Cardi B. According to CBS News, approximately 135 million people watched the show globally.
In Bridgeport’s Ramova Theatre, around 400 attendees gathered for a watch party organized by Da Crew founder Edgar Latorre. He aimed to recreate the festive atmosphere found during Puerto Rican parades in Humboldt Park by inviting groups like Windy City Jeep Club and offering food from La Palma Express Restaurant alongside other vendors.
Latorre explained his motivation: “It was more than just the basics, right? I wanted to show them the true experience of how it is to be Puerto Rican,” he said. “We were happy to see someone like us on the big screen. It was amazing. It was electric.”
At La Bomba restaurant in Logan Square, owner Kato Tores observed roughly 70 people waiting for takeout at one time as customers ordered assorted appetizers typical of Puerto Rican street food culture.
Tores shared an interaction with new customers: “I had a couple from the suburbs that called asking, ‘Hey, we never tried Puerto Rican food. What you recommend?’ Watching this Super Bowl, everybody was happy with Benito. So why bring wings and pizza if we could keep it with the whole culture and bring Puerto Rican food instead? And it was a good boost for the Puerto Rican community especially in Chicago because there are a lot of Puerto Ricans here.”
Cynthia Pereira from Jibaritos y Más also saw unprecedented demand throughout Sunday: “We were expecting the restaurant to be a little busy. Yes, of course. But we weren’t expecting it to be the way it was. It was something that we’ve never experienced before,” she said.“Usually for this day, it’s actually a little bit of a slow day for us. But Sunday from the moment that we open all the way to when pretty much we closed down it was completely packed.”
