El Merkury has been serving up Central American Street food for over three years, and is making an effort in bringing back indoor dining through building the trust of customers.

The local eatery is teaming up with ImmunaBand, a silicone bracelet that contains COVID-19 vaccine records, accessible through a passcode.

ImmunaBand launched in early 2021, just as vaccines began to roll out all over the country.

Its creators developed the technology to restore trust, bring families back together, and help return some normalcy to the world.

They also wanted to make it easier for people to visibly show others that they have been vaccinated without pulling out their wallet to show a vaccination card.

To get an ImmunaBand, customers must receive a COVID-19 vaccination that has received FDA Emergency Authorization. The purchaser then uploads their vaccination card that will confirm their status to ImmunaBand's HIPAA-compliant server.

The staff at El Merkury will be wearing ImmunaBand bracelets at their new location in Reading Terminal Market, which is holding a press event on Thursday, April 29. The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Owner Sofia Deleon said she believes the bracelets will provide a sense of relief for her customers.

Deleon is hoping to break the stigma of the COVID-19 vaccine by showing customers that getting vaccinated is necessary and normal.

The president of ImmunaBand, J. Tashof Bernton, M.D., is making the bracelet accessible for customers who will constantly be on the go and need to regularly show their vaccination status. 

"We created ImmunaBand to help people feel comfortable and safe in public — and we all deserve that,” said Bernton, M.D. “ImmunaBand will serve as the passport that returns us back to normal life.”

Berton also believes that by wearing these bracelets, small businesses all over the country will be able to safely reopen.

El Merkury hopes the idea will bring customers safely back to their business without fear of spreading the virus.

The restaurant has long had a great reputation with locals.

El Merkury’s second location will be opening in Reading Terminal Market on Wednesday, April 28.