A popular food vendor that sold burritos, tortilla burgers and other light fare near the Duck Pond closed up shop last month and said he will not be returning to sell food on campus.
Lee Vigil, owner and operator of Daniel's Den Quick Stop CafÇ, said that because of a new "overzealous" health inspector who began to enforce health code standard to the letter, and ten years of working on campus, he decided it was time to move on with life.
"It's been one fantastic adventure," Vigil said. "It's time to move on."
Vigil started serving food on campus in 1992 and said the original plan was to only do it for about a year. However, after much success, he and his wife, Stella, decided to stick around a little longer.
After continued years of success, Vigil decided to invest in a new food service cart in 1994. He purchased one in New Jersey and made sure that its specifications were up to par with health inspections standards - which they were.
But, starting this year, Vigil said a new health inspector started reviewing his service and determined that Vigil had to make some changes to continue to operate - such as putting screens on the rear and front windows of the cart.
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Because he had already gotten approval from the same health inspection agency to use the same cart, Vigil did not want to make a number of expensive and time-consuming adjustments to his business.
"I didn't want to hassle with all of that," he said. "I basically decided to hang it up."
Robert Schulte, director of business services/housing and food services at UNM, said the main thing he worried about was that no one would be around to give students a positive outlook.
"He had a good product, but more than that, he dispensed good will," Schulte said. "I don't think I've ever met anybody that was such a dispenser of good will."
Schulte said that it might not be a bad idea if student government, the president or some other entity on campus created a way to honor the popular vendor.
Many students would mostly remember Vigil, not for his tortilla or ranchero burgers, but for his positive and often candid advice.
"He's really cool, he always had nice things to say," said freshman Justin Paiz.
Although he said he will miss the UNM campus, Vigil is looking forward to what lies ahead for him and his wife.
"Thank you so much for the privilege of having been on campus," he said.
He has already sold his cart and has also put his home in Edgewood up for sale. Vigil said he and his wife plan to move into their RV and travel across the nation visiting national parks.
"We've experienced the awesomeness of the East coast," Vigil said.
He said he was angry at first with the health inspector and the way in which he was treated, but after a while, he recognized it as an opportunity to move on to the next thing in life.
But, he added, he wants to say thanks to all of the people that he has come in contact with on campus in the past 10 years.
"Just keep thinking positive thoughts, and you know, help make the world a beautiful place," he said.
