Meksiko Cantina closes

Meksiko Cantina customers are finding the restaurant in West End Center has closed.

“The [restaurant] owner lives in Mexico, and the lease expired Sunday [April 3],” Tommy Vann, partner/owner of West End Phase II Partnership, said. “The building is available [for lease].”

Vann said Mario Navarro, Meksiko Cantina owner/general manager, has been in Mexico for several months.

“I’ve had no contact with him,” Vann said. “I need to lease the building.

“That’s a very good site and a very good building. I’m sure we will get another restaurant in there.”

Attempts to contact Navarro for a comment were unsuccessful.

Navarro opened the restaurant at 120 West End Ave. in July 2010 with family members Jorge and Claudia Navarro.

Before opening Meksiko Cantina, the Navarros owned Estelita’s at the same location. That business closed February 2010. They also owned Border Taco at 723 N. Campbell Station Road. That business also has since closed.

In the meantime, work nears completion on the first phase of renovations to West End shopping center.

“We finally got the landscaping done,” Vann said.

All that remains to be done is the lighting on the columns.

“We are very pleased,” he said. “It looks very nice, and Richardson & Turner, the contractors, did a great job.

The buildings on the west side of West End Center were constructed in 1986 while the buildings across the road were completed in 1984.

“We already have a couple new tenants in [the center], and I hope by next summer to have more. Our leasing agent is working hard.”

“We hope to renovate the center on the other side of West End Avenue and tie together the two ends [of the center], colorwise.