Isabel Tapia stirs a pot in the kitchen of her family's restaurant, the Tortilla Factory, on Wednesday afternoon. The new Tortilla Factory, located at 2706 S. Greeley Highway, had its soft opening on Saturday. Miranda Grubbs/staff

CHEYENNE - The new Tortilla Factory restaurant building in south Cheyenne is made of stucco, wood, steel and glass.

But that's not all.

The restaurant is built on a strong foundation formed by a family's dedication and hard work.

The Tortilla Factory at 2706 S. Greeley Highway opened Saturday.

Its high ceilings - as high as 25 feet in some parts of the restaurant - complement the bold crimson and melon colors painted on the walls and the yellow and blue colors at the front desk area.

The new restaurant replaces an older, smaller Tortilla Factory at 715 S. Greeley Highway.

Genaro and Rosario Tapia opened that first Tortilla Factory in 1997.

Now three of their four adult children are partners with them in the new venture. They are Isabel, Sam and Martin Tapia.

The Tapias also own Tortilla Factory Express on Stillwater Avenue in north Cheyenne. It will continue to operate.

Excerpt from:
Family-run Mexican restaurant now in larger building in South Cheyenne area

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) Big changes are happening at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium.

For the first time, the zoo is closed for six weeks for maintenance and renovation.

One of the largest changes taking place at the zoo is crews are building a brand new restaurant. Construction workers started demolition in October in the area near the Safari Grill.

They tore down a cheetah holding building, along with two small buildings where you could buy pizza and French fries.

What were doing is were constructing a new 7,000 square foot restaurant, which will accommodate 300 seats, said Bradley Smith, Director of Construction Management at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium.

There will be 160 seats outside and 140 seats inside the air-conditioned building. The new Jambo Grill is on track to be completed by Memorial Day.

It is an African theme, it is very open, heavy timber, it has a very steep cathedral ceiling, said Smith.

Smith said one of the best parts of the restaurant is that youll be able to watch the cheetahs, zebras, giraffes, and elephants, while you enjoy a meal on the patio.

As far as the menu, there will be several healthy and fresh options.

This is an opportunity for us to step our game up in this market, as well as in zoos and we really want to make people rethink what zoo food is, said Steve Schurr, General Manager of Service Systems Associates.

Read the rest here:
Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium Set To Reopen After Major Renovations

Fort Lauderdale, FL (PRWEB) February 03, 2015

Jafrejo Holdings & the Florida Restaurant Franchise Group are bringing Twin Peaks to South Florida. What has been called the Fastest Growing Restaurant Chain in America by both Businessweek and Forbes magazines, the booming restaurant chain already has Florida locations in Orlando and Pensacola and the company is expected to open the brands 1st South Florida location in early May with another 4 locations scheduled to open throughout the a area over the next 12 months.

The 11,000-square-foot restaurant is currently under construction and will be located in the Tower Shoppes (at the corner of University Drive and I-595) in Davie, FL. We're building the Ultimate Man Cave with the coldest beer in town and made from scratch food said Joe Sloboda, Vice President of Operations for Jafrejo Holdings. The Davie location will have 32 beers on tap and more than 70 large screen hi-def televisions with for every sports fans viewing pleasure.

Twin Peaks is mountain-lodge themed sports bar, known for its rugged feel and man cave setting, with 29 degree beer and made from scratch food served by beautiful Twin Peaks Girls. The Texas based franchise has been taking the country by storm and currently has 65 locations across the United States and is expected to have more than 100 stores opened by the end of the year. We are coming into South Florida in a big way and will be opening stores in West Palm Beach, Ft. Myers, Pembroke Pines and Fort Lauderdale over the next 12 months, added Sloboda.

About Jafrejo Holdings, LLC and the Florida Restaurant Franchise Group Based in Weston, FL, Jafrejo Holdings, LLC and their subsidiary, The Florida Restaurant Franchise Group is a commercial real estate development and holding company that specializes in restaurant operations and retail property development. The company currently owns and or is developing multiple franchise restaurant units for VooDoo BBQ & Grill and Twin Peaks Restaurants. The Principles have more than 30 years of experience in restaurant operations and real estate development and are also licensed attorneys and experienced real estate developers.

Read the original:
Jafrejo Holdings to Bring Twin Peaks Restaurant to South Florida

The former Hops Restaurant in the 3700 block of Southwest Archer Road is seen on Feb. 2, 2015.

Butler Plaza soon will be welcoming two new tenants -- a Tuesday Morning home goods store and a Carter's children's store -- while the Outback Steakhouse will be relocating to the former Hops Restaurant.

Tuesday Morning sells a variety of home goods: small appliances, bath and body items, clothes and accessories, luggage and seasonal goods. It will be opening in the 3700 block of Southwest Archer Road between Trader Joe's and PetSmart.

This will be Gainesville's second Tuesday Morning, the first being in the Plaza Royale shopping center on Newberry Road.

Through a Butler spokesperson, Tuesday Morning declined to offer a potential opening date.

Carter's sells children's clothing, gifts and accessories. It is scheduled to open in March in the 3900 block of Southwest Archer Road in the former Pac Sun spot between Target and Old Navy.

The nearest Carter's locations are in St. Augustine, Jacksonville and Orlando.

These two new stores will bring more jobs and revenue to the area as well as the additional shopping options, Butler President Deborah Butler wrote to the Sun in an email. Our overall approach is to fulfill all the needs and wants for both shopping and dining right here.

This approach includes bringing many new-to-the-market retailers to Gainesville and eliminating the burden of traveling elsewhere."

A current Butler tenant, Outback Steakhouse, will be switching spots within the complex but declined to offer specifics.

Read more here:
Outback moving to old Hops location; Tuesday Morning, Carter's coming to Butler

A restaurant chain called Bagger Daves Burger Tavern has signed a lease to open its first location in Ohio at the Cornerstone of Centerville development, the chains founder said this morning.

Michael Ansley CEO of Diversified Restaurant Holdings Inc., which operates 24 Bagger Daves restaurants in Michigan and Indiana said he intends to open at least two more locations in the Dayton area, one in the Austin Landing area of Miami Twp. and one in Beavercreek in the Mall at Fairfield Commons area. A fourth may follow in the Huber Heights area, Ansley said.

The Cornerstone of Centerville Bagger Daves will seat about 160 and will employ 35 to 45, the CEO said.

Chris Conley, president of Oberer Real Estate Services, said Bagger Daves will occupy about 4,500 square feet of the southern side of a mixed-retail building known as Shoppes I that will be built near the Wilmington Pike entrance to Costco Warehouse. Construction should begin around March 1, Conley said.

Ansley said the new restaurant could open as early as August.

We knew Ohio would be the next state we wanted to enter, he said. Plans call for opening an additional six to eight restaurants in the Cincinnati region, starting with a location in the West Chester area, Ansley said. Well probably sign the lease in the next few weeks for that location, he said.

Ansley, a 1993 graduate of the University of Dayton, is also franchise owner of 42 Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and Florida. His Bagger Daves eateries are full-service restaurants, not fast-casual with counter service, he said.

Each Bagger Daves offers build-your-own and signature burgers, hand-cut fries, soups, salads, a collection of bourbons and 10 craft-beer taps that will feature local craft beer, Ansley said. The restaurant chains slogan is Different kinds of burgers, different kinds of beer.

Several other restaurants, including Milanos Atlantic City Submarines, Chick-fil-A, and Archers Tavern, have announced theyll be opening restaurants in the mixed-use development near the I-675/Wilmington Pike interchange. Anchor tenant Costco is already open, and a Kroger store and Cabelas outdoor store also have submitted plans to be the second and third retail anchors for the development.

Here is the original post:
Cornerstone of Centerville bags another restaurant

LAKE IN THE HILLS A gastropub is in the works at the former Applebee's on Randall Road.

The Woods Creek Tavern is scheduled to open in the spring, said managing partner Dave Abraham.

Abraham, who lives in Hoffman Estates, said the gastropub will have higher quality food and higher quality beer along with a large selection of craft beers.

We want to create to a neighborhood environment where people can come in and relax, have some good food, good beer [in] a cool atmosphere, Abraham said.

Interior construction, along with a new kitchen, is expected to begin in a couple of weeks, Abraham said. Work also will take place on the exterior.

Abraham, who has been in the restaurant business for four years, also is a managing partner of a restaurant in Schaumburg.

He started looking at the 5,000-square-foot former Applebees during the summer of 2013, when the property went on the market.

Abraham wont disclose the amount of the investment.

He did say he wanted to locate the business on Randall Road, but he didnt make a move on the property until the decision on whether to go with a continuous flow intersection at Randall and Algonquin roads was resolved.

Ultimately, County Board members opted to go with a conventional intersection as part of a potential Randall Road widening project.

Read more:
New restaurant planned at former Lake in the Hills Applebee's

CROWN POINT | The vacant Ponderosa restaurant on Main Street will be demolished soon to make way for a new complex that will house at least two restaurants, including the relocating Pop's Italian Beef and Sausage.

John Neckus, of Ascend Real Estate Advisors in Chesterton, said the owner of the Pop's, who currently leases the space at 1150 N. Main St. in Crown Point, plans to build an 11,500-square-foot restaurant and retail structure for up to five businesses.

Neckus said Pop's would use 3,200 square feet for the main restaurant and use another 1,900 square feet as a party and entertainment room. The Little Italy family restaurant will be opening its third location in another 3,200-square-foot space of the complex.

The remaining space is available and can be separate 1,900-square-foot businesses or combined into one, Neckus said. He is looking for any type of business, retail or food service, interested in leasing the space.

The owner of Pop's already has a permit to demolish the Ponderosa, and Neckus said plans for the new enterprise will be completed in 30-45 days. The project will then have to go through the city approval process, but the owner hopes to start construction by May 1 and be ready to open Sept. 1.

"The mayor and his staff have been wonderful to work with," Neckus said, "and the hope is that this project will be one of many where we can take a property that is in foreclosure or is vacant or underutilized and put in new businesses and services to turn them into productive properties."

Mayor David Uran said the Ponderosa was a family owned business for many years and the city was sorry to see it close, but he is excited to see Pop's moving there.

"We've had some initial meetings with them, and we anticipate in the next couple of months to see some action," Uran said.

Neckus said he recently signed on to do something similar for the former Anderson car dealership on Main Street just north of the Ponderosa.

"We are happy to work with the city to make these type of efforts possible," he said. "We want to bring together the people and investors to turn these properties into productive use."

Visit link:
New tenants to occupy former Ponderosa restaurant property

Downtown Disney Overview Including The BOATHOUSE The Hangar Restaurant Construction
This is a look at the construction from both the water and land of The BOATHOUSE and The Hangar Restaurants at Downtown Disney. Also, more of the view of the...

By: MouseSteps / JWL Media

View post:
Downtown Disney Overview Including The BOATHOUSE & The Hangar Restaurant Construction - Video

CSUN housings new Bamboo Terrace restaurant, an expansion of Geronimos, begins construction next week and will open in August 2015 as discussed by the executive committee on Thursday.

It will be like Bamboo on steroids, said Betsy Corrigan, the associate director of campus dining, referring to the Bamboo located in The Marketplace on campus.

While CSUN housing will be accommodating 400 more students this fall with the completion of the Phase II housing structures, Corrigan hopes to receive more walk-ins from students and faculty who dont normally eat at the establishment, which is located at the corner of Zelzah and Lassen.

Rick Evans, executive director of the University Corporation, said the addition will be first class dining.

The restaurant, which broke ground in January, will feature pan-Asian food (both authentic and Americanized).

CSUN has already recruited Benjawan Kumnudsri, a chef from Pepperdine University, and has a menu complete with 10 weeks worth of food.

Each week, the restaurant will feature food from a different region of China, of which there are five.

People will walk in, slide their meal plan card, and have this bank of food to choose from, Corrigan said.

The restaurant will feature five different types of salad, as well as rice, soup, sushi, dessert, tea and more.

You will be able to get a hamburger at Geronimos and then head on over to Bamboo and get some sushi, Corrigan said.

Original post:
Student housing set to receive new dining experience with Bamboo Terrace restaurant

Three days after filing a lawsuit against its landlord, the longtime restaurant Jour de Fte is facing eviction.

The law firm representing the property owner, Iacono Family Investments, posted eviction notices Thursday at the popular eatery, according to Jour de Fte co-owner Olivier Mottier and his attorney, Matt Ferguson of Aspen.

The eviction proceeding, which Ferguson said they intend to fight, deepens a legal dispute in which Mottier and co-owner Emelio Martinez claim they have lost over $80,000 because of ongoing construction on the Durant Mall that blocked customer access. The lawsuit also says Iacono Family Investments is improperly seeking over $34,000 in condominium assessments that the restaurant owners contend they withheld with the permission of Thomas Iacono, principal of the landlord entity.

Iacono is maliciously claiming that [Iaconos] family real estate investment business is due $50 per day for the temporary withholding of assessments to the Durant Mall condominium [association] that was discussed with him, Ferguson wrote in the lawsuit. That amount, which initially was $61 ,334 in withheld condo assessments, now stands at $34,350 because of late penalties and interest, the lawsuit says.

Mottier sought to withhold the condo fees because the eatery has lost so much money during the construction project the lawsuit says 6-foot-high impenetrable fences were erected that blocked Jour de Ftes entrance and Iacono allegedly told him that Iacono Family Investments (IFI) did not care about the assessments so long as the company received rent.

What was to be a mere renovation of the Durant Mall began in April 2014 and still has not finished, despite business owners allegedly being told the work would take about two months. The lawsuit says Iacono coerced Mottier into taking out a personal home-equity loan for almost $18,000 to pay for some of the work, in violation of the lease that calls for capital improvements to be the responsibility of the landlord.

The eviction notice demands payment or possession of the premises within three days, Ferguson said. Mottier and Martinez, however, are not going anywhere, Ferguson said.

Were going to fight this all the way to a jury, he said. This is baseless, groundless and mean-spirited.

He and his clients shared a letter Ferguson sent Thursday to Aspen attorney David Kelly, who is representing IFI. The missive says the penalty rent and interest on the condo fees are both invented to defend [IFIs] own prior and ongoing breaches of the lease. Ferguson also wrote that the restaurant owners paid the original $6,334, but that the money was returned 10 days later.

Iacono on Monday declined comment about the litigation, other than to say the facts will come out in court. Regarding the construction delays, he said that was beyond everyones control.

Read more here:
Restaurant fight heats up