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August 19, 2024
RIVER FALLS – Nineteen years without any upgrades or updates was long enough for Mariachi Loco RF, Co-owner Chava Duran said.
“We opened the restaurant (at 456 S. Spruce St.) in 2005,” he said. “It has been quite a while since we’ve done any work to the inside of the restaurant, so it was time for that.”
Duran said remodeling work began in late July and included renovations to the customer space, as well as a kitchen remodel.
“The building is 30-plus years old and had gotten a bit worn out – it needed a refresh,” he said. “Some walls also needed repair and some plumbing as well. In the meantime, we ripped out the carpet in the dining room and put in some new flooring to keep it cleaner.”
Duran said the authentic Mexican restaurant, which has about 15 employees, was supposed to reopen for business Aug. 5, but was delayed due to a bit of red tape.
“We were waiting for the fire department and the health department to approve everything,” he said. “They came (Aug. 9) and gave their approval and said everything was good. We also had to put the dining room and kitchen back together first.”
Though the remodeling work was needed, Duran said it was also a nervous time.
“Our customers love the upgrades and fresh look, but I also had a fear of losing customers when we were shut down for a few weeks,” he said. “At the same time, the restaurant is much better now that we’ve finished – it’s like a fresh start. It was a good feeling opening again – nervous at first, but then as the date approached to reopen, it became more exciting.”
During the two-week closure, Duran said they spread the word through Facebook and posted signs.
“Despite that, we had people come to the restaurant (when we were closed) who didn’t know we had temporarily shut down,” he said. “That’s why I didn’t want to stay closed longer than two weeks. The customers were ready.”
Duran also the building Mariachi Loco resides in what used to be a Taco John’s, so the outside of the building already had a Mexican look and feel to it.
“It’s a smaller place, but it’s working for us,” he said.
Though business has been good for 19 years, Duran said they haven’t “really thought about opening up another location.”
“This restaurant keeps us busy,” he said. “I tell my wife, if I ever want to open another one, it would probably be in Florida where it’s warmer.”
How it began
Duran said before opening Mariachi Loco, he was living in Red Wing, Minnesota – about 30 minutes away from River Falls across the Mississippi River.
Nineteen years later, he said, business is still strong.
“Since the beginning, people have enjoyed the food – that makes me happy,” he said. “At least we know we’re doing something good for the community.”
Being in the restaurant industry since 1995, Duran said he always envisioned opening a Mexican restaurant.
“I’ve known since the first day I started working (at another) restaurant, this is what I wanted to do to make a living,” he said. “I worked for 10 years for another Mexican restaurant, and after that, we went out on our own. It’s always been a dream of mine.”
Prime location
Duran said Mariachi Loco is located directly across the street from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, which he said “definitely helps with business.”
“(In finding) this location, I had a co-worker who mentioned River Falls (as a possible destination), so we came to look and found this place,” he said. “With no students currently in school, we miss them. We notice when they’re gone, it’s a bit slower. Summer is usually pretty steady, but this summer has been more quiet. Business will pick back up when students are back in school.”
Mariachi Loco RF is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
For more information on the restaurant, visit mariachilocorf.com or its Facebook page.
