What's stopping Fiesta Tapatia from opening
A new hot food steam table.
That's all that stands between Fiesta Tapatia and its opening date.
Owners of the local Mexican restaurant say they ordered the equipment — that's used to keep ingredients like beans, rice and shredded chicken warm — months ago and have no idea of when it's expected to be delivered.
"That's what's holding us up. We cannot open without it, we cannot do inspections without it," co-owner Patricia Quiroz said. "So we pretty much have everything (else) ready. We have some decorations that are going to arrive from Mexico next week, but other than that, you know, we're ready to be open."
Outside of the missing kitchen equipment, the interior of the new space is nearly ready to go. It's hard to imagine the space was once a large, single room that formerly housed national-retailer Charming Charlie's before the company filed bankruptcy in 2019 and subsequently closed all of its locations.
Owners told me it was important to try and replicate the homey atmosphere as the former Mishawaka location and have added decorative tables and chairs depicting famous Latin scenes and people, as well as large partition walls with rounded windows and decorative light fixtures inside the new location.
After six months of not being able to operate, Fiesta Tapatia owners are chomping at the bit to reopen their local restaurant as soon as possible.
"We're so anxious and a little nervous," Quiroz said. "But we're more than ready to be open and see our wonderful customers and just go back to old life a little bit."
You can read the full story here.
In other retail and restaurant news
🍴 Local restaurants in downtown South Bend are preparing for Winter Restaurant Week. From Jan. 24-Feb. 6, seventeen restaurants will participate in the event and offer special discounted menu options. A list of participating restaurants and menus are available at eatdrinkdtsb.com.
🐧 Penguin Point opened its new location on the west side of South Bend late last week. The fast food restaurant was initially scheduled to open last summer but operators say construction and equipment delays pushed back the opening. You can read more here on what Penguin Point is known for and why operators are planning to replicate the new look at other locations.
🥕 Local family urban farm Sunchoke Farms is selling its booth at the South Bend Farmer's Market. Owner Susan Greutman said many financial and personal factors went into the decision to sell the booth. But the local urban farm isn't done operating. Subscribers can read more info here on how the business has pivoted.
🥞 American Pancake House opened its new Goshen location on Monday, Jan. 17, at the former Bob Evan's building at 425 W. Pike St. This is the third location for brother-sister ownership Nick and Zoi Kladis, who also own the location in Town and Country Shopping Centre in Mishawaka and on Indiana 933 in Roseland. The menu and atmosphere are similar to other locations, with the restaurant specializing in American breakfast and lunch options.
🍜And in foodie news, Eater, a food news website that I admittedly spend A LOT of time on, has released its list of best places to visit and eat in 2022. Although South Bend sadly isn't on the list, some options (like St. Louis) are a mere roundtrip away.
Other local news I found interesting that you may too
'Moving in the right direction': These development projects are in the works for Mishawaka
Booming neighborhood: South Bend's East Bank community projects aim to slow traffic, enhance neighborhood
'You don’t need a fancy boat': Ice fishing has begun in Michiana. Here are pointers on ice, bait and must-have gear.
'A staffing crisis': Michiana schools grapple with driver shortages during omicron surge
As always, if you see something around town you're curious about and want me to check out (or if you feel like sending a nice note or pet pics), you can email me here.
Cheers 🍸,
Mary
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This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Market Basket newsletter Jan. 20 2021
