Buenos Ayres Market & Grill closes in San Juan after 28 years
Owner María Marty announced the sale of the Punta Las Marías property, where a new restaurant will open under different ownership and name.
The short version
- El Nuevo Día and Primera Hora reported that Buenos Ayres Market & Grill in Punta Las Marías, San Juan, closed after 28 years
- Owner María Marty stated the property was sold and the new owner will operate a restaurant but not under the Buenos Ayres name
- Marty thanked God, customers and staff for nearly three decades of support, saying it may be a temporary rest
- The restaurant opened in 1999 in Borinquen Towers and faced bankruptcy proceedings in 2010
Closure after nearly three decades
The Argentine restaurant Buenos Ayres Market & Grill closed its doors in Punta Las Marías, San Juan, after 28 years of operation. Owner María Marty announced the closure in a social media post following the sale of the property. El Nuevo Día reported that the new owner will establish a restaurant operation at the site but will not continue under the Buenos Ayres name. Primera Hora reported the same details.
In her farewell message, Marty said she had been fortunate to serve customers with care and effort for 28 years. She thanked those who supported the business in good and bad times and noted the affection of clients as a key reason for its longevity. Both outlets quoted her saying the day had come to rest and that it might be “hasta luego,” with time to tell if the closure is permanent.
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What the sources posted
Posts and statements below are the sources' own words, quoted as published. They are not independently verified.
Llega el día de poder descansar y no sabemos si puede ser un hasta luego, el tiempo dirá
Our translation: The day has come to rest and we do not know if it may be a see you later, time will tell
The source's own statement, as quoted by El Nuevo Día. Not verified by PuertoRico.com.
History of the business
According to both reports, the restaurant opened in 1999 at Borinquen Towers in San Juan under Argentine owners Silvio Díaz, Oscar Marty and his daughter María Marty. It specialized in grilled Argentine meats and Creole dishes. Three years later it expanded with a second location in Condado.
In 2010 the owning corporation, El Floridita Inc., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization. Primera Hora reported that at the time María Marty described the filing as resulting from a family lawsuit involving her father rather than financial problems at the restaurants. The Punta Las Marías site had previously been associated with another Argentine restaurant owned by Oscar Marty.
Where the sources differ
Both El Nuevo Día and Primera Hora agree on the closure date, the 28 years of operation, the sale of the property, the new owner continuing a restaurant under a different name, and the content of María Marty’s farewell message. El Nuevo Día provided more detail on the original 1999 opening partners and the exact 2010 debt amount at the Condado location. Primera Hora added that the 2010 bankruptcy was attributed by Marty to a family lawsuit rather than business problems and mentioned an additional 2005 Isla Verde concept called Tenedor Libre.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not disclose the sale price of the property, the identity of the new owner, the planned concept or name of the future restaurant, or any specific date for the new operation to begin. They also do not state whether Marty intends to open a new location elsewhere or what immediate plans she has after closing.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Reporting Cierra Buenos Ayres Market & Grill tras 28 años en San Juan
- Reporting Cierra restaurante argentino en San Juan tras 28 años
How we checked this
El Nuevo Día and Primera Hora both based their stories on María Marty’s social media announcement. Details about the restaurant’s early history and the 2010 bankruptcy come from the outlets’ own archives. The possibility of reopening rests solely on Marty’s quoted comment that time will tell.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.