After 23 years in business, Caliente undergoing renovations

Chris Rugowski

Contributor

April 6, 2026

DE PERE  – Caliente is turning up the heat, Co-owners Cristian and Vanessa Matheu said, with a fresh new look and an even better experience.

After 23 years, the Matheus said they are renovating and reimagining the space at 623 George St., just in time for a big reveal this Cinco de Mayo.

First comes co-ownership

Cristian and Vanessa Matheu – longtime employees of Caliente, working at the restaurant for 18 and 16 years, respectively – said they became co-owners of the restaurant in early 2025. 

Before stepping into co-ownership, Cristian said he spent about a year away from the restaurant exploring other opportunities.

He said discussions about co-ownership began when partners Greg and Ann DeCleene approached them with the idea.

Cristian said the decision to take on co-ownership was both an opportunity that arose and the result of years of ongoing dialogue about the restaurant’s future.

He said becoming an owner, or part-owner, was the only way he envisioned staying in the restaurant business.

At the time, Cristian said Caliente needed support, prompting the DeCleenes to ask him to return.

Before rejoining, he said he and Vanessa held a series of in-depth discussions with the DeCleenes to determine next steps.

“We had a few meetings about how I would come back, because it had to make sense financially,” he said. “This is when the opportunity [of co-ownership] started to present itself. We took a trip to Chicago, and we both realized I can always go back to other jobs, but this opportunity won’t always be there.”

Though moving into co-ownership was initially intimidating, Vanessa said the experience has ultimately been rewarding.

Starting at Caliente while in college and then continuing while balancing a full-time job, Vanessa said what she once considered a temporary role she planned to leave each year gradually became a long-term commitment she eventually did not want to give up.

“I’m glad it worked out that way,” she said. “You get to know your regulars and your coworkers, and it’s like a little family.”

Cristian said his path to co-ownership was shaped by years of hands-on experience, beginning when he took on back-of-house responsibilities in his early 20s. 

Over time, he said he developed a management-oriented mindset, one focused on supporting employees and encouraging those he worked alongside. 

Looking back at how things unfolded, Cristian said he would choose the same path again, crediting the experience with strengthening his leadership and personal growth.

A much-needed facelift

The Matheus said the restaurant had not seen a complete renovation in its 23-year history.

Vanessa said that after becoming co-owners, they identified several updates that needed to be made and worked with the DeCleenes to develop a plan before starting construction in February 2026.

Guests familiar with the space, she said, can expect a significant change, with only the original tin ceiling and the hardwood floors in the middle and rear portions of the restaurant remaining intact.

“The rest of the place got stripped down to the bare bones,” she said.

When the DeCleenes first purchased the building, which dates back to 1890, Cristian said initial renovations uncovered several artifacts, including a large rifle, a photograph of a young girl and a piece of sheet music.

During the building’s current renovations, he said additional historical items have surfaced, including a child-sized shoe with petrified leather and Victorian-style lacing, an old hammer, a 1923 newspaper and an all-metal flashlight believed to date to the 1950s.

“All of this belongs to the building, so we intend to keep it there in display cases,” he said.

Vanessa said she believes the updated look and feel will be well received.

“It’s something new and exciting [for customers],” she said. “And it’s exciting for us to take the business to the next level.”

Cristian said the DeCleenes’ prior relationship with local contractor IEI led to their selection for the project.

He said the experience has been seamless overall and described IEI as “great.”

The vision coming to life

The Matheus said regular trips to Chicago inspired parts of Caliente’s updated look, as they noticed design elements they felt would fit the space.

Armed with photos and a plan, the husband-and-wife duo said they presented their ideas to the DeCleenes before meeting with designers to develop the final design.

“When we first became business partners, we all went down to Chicago to confirm the vision we saw, and they were on board,” Cristian said. “Only once we got the designers involved did it really feel like we were committed.”

After months of planning, Cristian said the George St. location closed on Valentine’s Day for renovations, with operations shifting to a temporary site at 875 Heritage Road, which opened Feb. 18.

He said the aim is to complete the renovation in time for Cinco de Mayo, their biggest annual holiday.

Housed in the Chicago Street Pub, Vanessa said the temporary spot allows guests to move between both venues for drinks and dinner.

The Matheus said they hope that exposure will help draw customers to the newly renovated Caliente, located just two miles down the road.

Even before renovations began, Cristian said Caliente gradually eased into a rebrand, starting with a shift in music from alternative rock to upbeat Spanish salsa after more than two decades.

That change, he said, now runs alongside the restaurant’s remodel, as both efforts work together to redefine the space.

“It was scary at first because it was a change, and people did grumble, even some employees,” he said. “But now, you walk [into the restaurant] and see people enjoying it.”

Up next, Cristian said, is an updated name, with “La Fiesta Mexicana” being dropped from the tagline to align more closely with Caliente’s refreshed identity.

The Matheus said the rebrand and renovations provided an ideal opportunity to redefine the restaurant’s concept beyond traditional Mexican cuisine.

Cristian said there are already several authentic Mexican restaurants nearby, and Caliente is not positioned to compete with them.

The updated concept, he said, intentionally moves in a different direction.

“We’re Mexican-inspired, but in reality, we’ve always been and have become more of a specialty place,” he said. 

Cristian said the Mexican-inspired concept gives the menu more room to evolve.

That flexibility, he said, enables a wider variety of dishes, including lobster tacos, brisket tacos and one of the restaurant’s top sellers, the breaded avocado taco.

Vanessa said when they became co-owners, they brought a stronger focus on scratch preparation, rather than ordering pre-cut or pre-packaged ingredients.

Cristian said his focus has always been to keep everything as handmade as possible.

“Everything is hand-breaded, [and] our margaritas use juices that are squeezed by hand,” he said. “We can’t do everything from scratch, but if we can get to 90% of the stuff made in house, then that’s pretty good.”

The restaurant’s corn tortillas, for example, Cristian said, are made fresh by their “master tortilla maker” on staff, who prepares the dough from scratch and produces all tortillas by hand.

“It’s a science [from] when she puts it on the skillet to when she flips it, when it puffs with air and cooks from the inside,” he said. “Otherwise, it’s not a good quality tortilla. It reminds me of where I’m from, [Guatemala], where there would be five ladies around a skillet doing that, and it just got me thinking, ‘What if we could do that?’”

Fresh pride

The transition into co-ownership, along with the renovation, the Matheus said, has reinforced their sense of pride in the restaurant. 

Cristian said the process has been especially exciting for him, particularly in his role overseeing the back-of-house operations and mechanics of the restaurant.

“I’m dealing with the employees, so I can see the struggles there, whereas Vanessa is the front of house, dealing with customers,” he said. “My goal is to make my cooks’ and all employees’ lives easier. I’m not here to add stress. Being in business for myself has made me a better person.”

Vanessa said the staff has handled the leadership transition in stride, remaining flexible and committed throughout.

She said employees are eager for the renovations and ready to support the updated branding and direction.

Cristian said the overall goal is to establish a new identity for Caliente, with him and Vanessa positioning the restaurant as a specialty concept that complements both its food and atmosphere.

“Once it’s done, I’m pretty confident it’s going to be one of the nicest restaurants in the area,” he said. “We’re excited to show, share and embrace the vision of Caliente, as a specialty Mexican-inspired eatery.”

Keep up to date on the restaurant’s renovations and grand reopening on its social media platforms.