Grand Rapids' Little Mexico Café moves steadily toward November completion

It's been over a year since Little Mexico Café on Grand Rapids' West Side burned to the ground, but the new structure taking its place is well on its way to a November opening.

The new Little Mexico rises on the same corner at Bridge and Stocking NW. The exterior of the two-story building is nearly complete, and inside, crews are installing the ductwork, electrical, the stairway and the elevator.

An existing concrete building to the rear of the new structure survived the fire, but suffered extensive damage.

"The inside was a mess with smoke and water damage," says Jeffrey Parker of Jeffrey Parker Architects, spokesperson for restaurant owner Enrique Ayala. "The fire screwed up the roofing and as a result water came in. It was in the winter so the water became ice."

The damage is fixed and the building will be part of the restaurant.

Ayala decided to enclose a planned second story outdoor deck and use the space year-round.

Kitchens on both levels will increase efficiency, Ayala said in an earlier interview, and he has no plans to change his menu.

To keep the flavor of the atmosphere as authentically Mexican as the food, the new restaurant will feature live Mariachi bands performing from a dedicated band stand on the second floor.

"I think that the building will help raise the bar for the kind of development that area will attract," Parker says. "I think Little Mexico is a landmark restaurant in Grand Rapids and when it's re-built it will be a landmark building and an identifying element in the business area."

Source: Jeffrey Parker, Jeffrey Parker Architects; Enrique Ayala, Little Mexico Café

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Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].