Sunrise cafe in Three Rivers closed their doors on Saturday (Oct. 31) after 21-years in business at their Thornton St. location. Owner Emilia Guerra said, “I have health issues and I can’t be here all the time. I’m on dialysis twice a week and it wears me out for a whole day. I just can’t do it anymore.”

Guerra reminisced about her first day of business on Feb. 3, 1989. “Alfred was still working at the refinery and I was on my way to work at 5 a.m. It was icy, cold that morning. I think it was one of the coldest winters we have ever had. I was driving from our place [Mi Chiquita Ranch] on U.S. 281 and my car was slipping and sliding. It went into the bar ditch and one of the Herring boys brought me home in his 4-wheel drive pickup.”

However, Guerra made it in that first day along with Lucy Garza, Gigi Guerra and Freddie Gomez. “When we opened the business, the prison had just opened as well as the lake. It was a great time to open a cafe. Over the years, the community has been very good to us and I am going to miss them.”