Little Mexico Cafe rises from ashes, ready to open on Grand Rapids' West Side

Deborah Johnson Wood

The recipe for rebuilding Little Mexico Cafe has involved a lot of "cooks"—architects, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, masons and others—and in their midst are two quiet leaders who might rest a bit easier after the Tuesday, February 9 reopening: Enrique and Consuelo Ayala.

The Ayalas owned the restaurant at 401 Stocking Ave. NW, Grand Rapids for 11 years before it burned down in September 2008 after some kitchen equipment caught fire. They have been rebuilding for the past 14 months.

"At first I was in shock, I didn't know if we'd rebuild," says Consuelo through translator Yuri Zamudio, a manager at the restaurant. "But afterward I realized that to lose it would be hard and we liked it too much. We wanted to reopen for us, for our customers and for our employees."

Inside the new cafe, customers will find the walls painted with colorful murals by Mexican-born artist Roli Mancera. Mancera has completed murals depicting Aztec history predating the founding of The Gran Tenochtitlan, now Mexico City. To be completed are an Aztec calendar along the stairwell walls and, in the second-floor bar, a depiction of the making of tequila.

There are few changes to the menu, a tried-and-true recipe for success that includes wet burritos, chimichangas, red and green enchiladas, chili rellenos and homemade salsa.

"The secret is in the sauce," says Enrique Ayala through translator Rosa Dull in an earlier interview. "The recipes came from Mexico, from family recipes."

Consuelo smiled when she noted that 30 of the 35 former employees are returning. Some have been out of work since the restaurant burned. The restaurant will open in stages as the second level is finished. Once it's in full operation, it will employ about 60.

Hours will be Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. with a live Mariachi band every Saturday night.

Source: Enrique and Consuelo Ayala, Little Mexico Cafe

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Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected]. Have a development news tip for Rapid Growth? Contact us at [email protected].

Photo:

Views from the interior of Little Mexico (6)

Photographs by Josh Tyron -All Rights Reserved