By Robert Haugh

El Camino Mongolian BBQ, a popular Santa Clara restaurant, is in jeopardy of closing its doors.

Like most local restaurants, the COVID-19 pandemic caused them to shut down for months. And take out business has not matched full-service dining.

Unlike most local restaurants, if the business closes, the owners may have to leave the U.S. within three months.

The husband and wife owners Jeong “John” Won Seo and Sun “Sunny” Mi Kim bought the restaurant located on El Camino Real in 2004.

According to a Silicon Valley Business Journal story, the business received a PPP loan.

But John and Sunny are not eligible for many small business pandemic relief loans because they are not U.S. citizens.

They received E2 visas after John finished a teaching job at San Jose State.  The two were originally from South Korea.

The E2 visas allow people to work and stay in the U.S. if they make a major investment and control the business. 

Their daughter has started a GoFundMe account to help them.