Brides are left scrambling to find a new venue after the sudden closure of Red Mesa Cantina and its event spaces.After 16 years, the cantina permanently closed its doors on Tuesday, June 2.WATCH: Brides left scrambling to find n ew venue after Red Mesa Catina suddenly closes in downtown St. Pete Brides left scrambling to find new venue after Red Mesa Catina suddenly closesVictoria Houston got engaged in Chicago about two years ago. She booked her wedding with Red Mesa Events.She was set to get married in September."Our deposit was $6,300 and some change, and we gave that back in July 2025 when we secured our date, and at this point, we don't know if we're going to be getting that money back," said Houston.Alisson Tello is also set to get married in September. She is also hoping to get her deposit back."Most of our friends are out-of-towners and out of the country, and all of them bought their tickets or most of them have bought their plane tickets, accommodations, it's really heartbreaking," she said.This week, Red Mesa Catina's parent company filed for bankruptcy. The statement sent to Tampa Bay 28 reads, in part:"Red Mesa Cantina and Red Mesa Events became casualties of a combination of economic and market factors that have created extraordinary challenges for hospitality businesses throughout the region. Restaurants and events are luxuries that, for many in the community, have become difficult to prioritize. Among those factors are the lingering effects of the post-pandemic economy, back-to-back hurricanes that caused significant disruption and damage throughout the Tampa Bay area, the financial strain experienced by many residents who were forced to repair or rebuild their homes and properties following those stormswith many still displaced and not yet back in their homesand the broader economic challenges impacting both the local community and the nation as a whole. Additionally, major changes affecting the downtown area, including the long but temporary closure of Tropicana Field and the resulting reduction in visitor activity and economic traffic, further contributed to an already difficult operating environment. Our immediate focus remains assisting affected clients, communicating with guests regarding upcoming events. The team continues to work directly with customers to discuss available options and help minimize disruption to scheduled events."Brides said they received an email that reads in part, "Our team is currently working directly with all affected guests and is prioritizing communication based on event date order, with the most immediate events being addressed first."Houston and Ttello are looking for a new venue and hope they receive a refund."I hope all the other brides out there that are affected are doing okay. I've seen a lot of them posting on social media. I know other people have weddings sooner than ours and I hope that they figure it out and now it's really nice to see all those brides, kind of coming together and sharing resources to try and help," said Houston.The closures only impact Red Mesa Cantina and Red Mesa Event Spaces.Red Mesa Restaurant, Mercado Edge District, and Mercado West remain open.These are separate businesses with different operations and management structures. ...read more read less