Concern over the swine flu’s Mexican connection is taking a bite out of business at some west suburban restaurants.

“The change from last week to this week is incredible,” said Lissette Rubio, owner of Tia Maria’s Mexican Restaurant, a longtime favorite on Geneva’s dining scene.

Those who still come out are faithful regulars, she said, adding, “They are the old customers who have always come and they know and they trust us.”

The restaurant’s newsletter will spread the word that none of the restaurant’s staff has traveled to Mexico for a long time. Cleaning practices have been ratcheted up, and hand sanitizers are in heavy use.

“We have tried to take all the precautions,” said Rubio, noting all the restaurant’s meats are from the United States.

On a personal note, Rubio said her relatives in Mexico City are doing fine and are confident the government is gaining the upper hand.

However, some other restaurants report no impact to their business.

Jay Rushford, general manager of Uncle Bub’s Restaurant in Westmont which is known for its ribs, said he hasn’t experienced any dip in business since the swine flu outbreak. The restaurant is keeping up with its standard hygienic practices, Rushford says.

“Hand washing is a ritual here,” he said. “But that’s not because of the (swine flu) ... it’s the result of how we handle ourselves on a daily basis.”

Anyway’s Chicago Restaurant in Villa Park is also sticking with their regular routine of sanitizing, said George, the general manager of the restaurant who declined to give his last name.

“We haven’t been issued any warning” from the county or state, he said. “We’re using the same standards we’ve always used.”

Jesus Castaneda, a partner of Lalo’s Mexican Restaurant on Harlem Avenue in Berwyn, said some of their spices, including dried peppers, are imported from Mexico, but he believes they pose no risk of contamination.

As a measure of decreasing the risk of the swine flu, Castaneda said workers with even the slightest symptoms, like consistent coughing and sneezing, are sent home. “That’s what we have to watch for,” he said.

Also, tabletops, silverware and plates and bowls are disinfected regularly and all employees wear gloves, especially when handling or preparing the food, he said.

Their business also has not been affected, he said.  

“People think that eating at a Mexican restaurant (they are) at more risk,” he said of the swine flu. “It has nothing to do with whether it’s a Mexican restaurant or not. It depends on how the restaurant (employees) takes care in keeping the restaurant clean and disinfected.”

Sharon Doyle, manager of Pepe’s Mexican Restaurant on East Chicago Avenue in Naperville, said the restaurant has stressed the importance of hand washing with employees and that hand sanitizer is available at all times for them.

“We’re just making sure our employees aren’t coming in sick,” she said.

“People are getting really, really worried,” she added. “This is a Mexican restaurant and we have Mexicans working here, but they haven’t come from Mexico recently.”