New Laredo's Location

[escan]

Obviously, there will be no Laredo's (no big loss IMO), but I heard that's where Pearl's might be moving. Has anyone else heard this?

[Patrick]

I wonder if they'll demolish the existing structure. I'm not sure the Mexican theme will work too well for a seafood restaurant.

[metro]

Actually you're both wrong, I read in the Oklahoman and JR a few weeks ago that the reason for the slowdown is that they had disagreements with their old contractor and were in negotiations with a new one. If they haven't already, you should see workers out there shortly completing this thing.

[Rambo]

Excellent! I miss eating at Laredo's. Used to eat there all the time when I was over in that neck of the woods.

[okcpd]

Very glad to hear that. I used to eat over there a lot when I was patrolling the area.

[Midtowner]

I spoke with the owner of Pepe's in Edmond (owns Laredo's as well) a few months back right after work stopped. He assured me that they would eventually be opening that location.

It's good food with dependable quality unlike Marcos which has really gone downhill as of late.

[Survey]

I spoke with the owner of Pepe's in Edmond (owns Laredo's as well) a few months back right after work stopped. He assured me that they would eventually be opening that location.

It's good food with dependable quality unlike Marcos which has really gone downhill as of late.

Are you referring to San Marcos? I've had no problems with the location at 39th and May as of late.

[escan]

Okay...thanks for the clarifications...wish it was something else, but anything will beat a half completed building!

[Midtowner]

Are you referring to San Marcos? I've had no problems with the location at 39th and May as of late.

Marcos #3 at 13th & Classen (or thereabouts)

[Martin]

while driving back from lunch today i saw what looked like activity at the laredo's site... -M

[Pete]

Where is the new site?

[John]

Where is the new site?

On Classen, just north of NW Expressway. (Behind Horn Nursery)

[Martin]

this place is on the west side of classen, south of i-44 and, like john said, north of nw expressway. while the frame has been up, it's sat for the last few months without being finished. -M

[jbrown84]

The new Pearl's will be on Classen north of the Belle Isle shopping center. It's a much nicer but less visible location than where Laredo's is going in just south of the Belle Isle Bridge.

[metro]

Wow. That will be nice if Laredo's actually follow's though. I wonder if the wood frame is still good since it's been sitting almost a year now. They last covered the frame with particle board and it's sun bleached. Yeah it's in the Belle Isle area, just next door to IHOP and east of the AmeriSuites hotel. Finishing it will definitely beautify that ugly parcel with weeds it sits on now. I know they mentioned in the summer they got a new contractor and work would start within a week but obviously nothing happened. I guess we'll see.

[redcup]

Wow. That will be nice if Laredo's actually follow's though. I wonder if the wood frame is still good since it's been sitting almost a year now. They last covered the frame with particle board and it's sun bleached. Yeah it's in the Belle Isle area, just next door to IHOP and east of the AmeriSuites hotel. Finishing it will definitely beautify that ugly parcel with weeds it sits on now. I know they mentioned in the summer they got a new contractor and work would start within a week but obviously nothing happened. I guess we'll see.

I could not believe it, but they are finally starting to work on the structure this week.
I drove by yesterday and say insulation going on the wood. Yippee!! I miss Laredo's. We have been going to Los Mariachi's on NW 39th and Portland for the last few months. But Laredo's will be closer for us.

[metro]

good to hear if it actually finally finishes, otherwise it's an eyesore

[Spartan]

Very glad to hear that. I used to eat over there a lot when I was patrolling the area.

Were there no donut shops?

[jbrown84]

Were there no donut shops?

wow

[metro]

Well, at this point I don't know what to think. Anyhow my wife and I drove by here about a week or so ago. She also drives by it everyday to work. The place had/was being mowed while we drove by. And it appeared there were 1 or 2 construction workers milling around the site, keep in mind this was after 5pm. Hopefully they are resuming construction for good finally.

[Patrick]

Yeah, looks like the resumed construction a few months ago....they put up new exterior boards, and started working on it again. But, it seems like construction has stopped the past few weeks. I'm not sure what's taking them so long, and why construction keeps stopping. Seems like it will never be completed.

[metro]

No Patrick, it resumed a few months ago, then stopped for about 2 months, and just started back up last week again. It hasn't been continuous for the last few months since they restarted last time.

[Patrick]

No Patrick, it resumed a few months ago, then stopped for about 2 months, and just started back up last week again. It hasn't been continuous for the last few months since they restarted last time.

I wonder when they plan on finishing it! Never?

[metro]

Sat August 25, 2007

Restaurant's future still on the menu

By Trisha Evans
Business Writer

The fate of the half-constructed Laredo's Mexican Restaurant on Classen Avenue has been a mystery for months.
Mary Caisse, general manager at IHOP at 5201 N Classen Blvd., said customers frequently ask what will become of the blue-domed building next door, which until this week hasn't been touched since construction stalled in February.

"I see it every day, and I always am extremely curious as to what's going on,” said Wade Starr, co-owner of the Deep Fork Group. "I've talked to my friends and told them if they want someone to put in a good Mexican restaurant over there, we'd love to take over the space. It looks like it's going to be a beautiful facility, if it ever gets done."

Meanwhile, rumors persist.

"There have been rumors saying that I died, I killed my brother, he killed me, my dad died, I went to Las Vegas, I spent all the money. I've heard everything,” said Julian Gonzalez Jr., co-owner and general manager of Laredo's, 5111 Classen. "We're happy to let them know, that it's definitely going to be Laredo's, and we hope to open by the end of the year.”


What happened?
The original Laredo's at 936 NW 63 closed in May 2005 after Chesapeake Energy bought the property for $2,747,500, according to Oklahoma County assessor records.
Construction began in November 2005.

"We were in a rush to try to open as soon as we could, and we rushed through the process and maybe didn't take as much time picking a contractor as we should have. Things didn't go very well, and we had to stop the project and look for a different contractor.”

Plus, funding ran out, leaving Gonzalez searching for a new lender. Gonzalez said other investments were made with money from the sale of the restaurant. The project cost also was underestimated.

"Originally the restaurant was supposed to cost $1.5 million,” he said. "When all is said and done, it's going to cost about $3 million.”

By the time the restaurant opens, it will be about 2

years since it closed, but Gonzalez said customers still miss Laredo's, and he is confident they will return.

"I run into them all the time in the city ... and have a very positive response. They always want to know what's going on, are you going to finish, is that building going to be Laredo's?”

Last week Gonzalez and a team of workers were unloading a truckload of stone from Mexico, and in one hour, three cars stopped to ask if Laredo's would open, Gonzalez said.

"I feel very strongly that they'll come back,” he said. "All's well that ends well.”

He said he's had a least 10 offers to purchase the property and many more phone calls from interested buyers.


Increased size
At about 9,000 square feet, the new restaurant will be about 2,000 square feet larger than the former restaurant.
The hacienda-style building was co-designed by Gonzalez, a trained architect, and David Ledbetter, of Sam Gresham Architects.

Gonzalez said the menu, too, will change with at least 10 dishes.

"We're going to keep the base menu that we had previously, but we're gong to keep adding to it and altering it by older, traditional dishes.”

One example is chiles en nogada, stuffed pobalano peppers with a sweet sauce on the outside.

"I'm going to try to get food from different regions in Mexico, instead of the typical Northern-Mexican fare,” he said.

[Midtowner]

Thank God.

PePe's in Edmond is basically the same food (same owners). Great stuff. We drive up to Edmond once in awhile just for those margaritas. This is great news.