Getting Ready for Baja Sonora's Quiet Opening

Steve Propes

As things stand now, the reopening of the popular, award-winning Baja Sonora Mexican restaurant in Time Square on Clark Avenue is nigh. Nigh meaning July 23, a Monday. Unless, of course, the date changes at the last moment. That has been the recent trend of planned reopening dates, only to be pushed back by Building and Safety and Health Department sign-offs and assorted red tape.

As Baja Sonora co-owner, Mary Sophiea, noted about six months ago, when she expected to open in February, the remodel process was originally “supposed to be four months, then six months. Now, it’s a year plus.” Plus meaning a year and a half total.

Baja Sonora co-owner Mike Mendelsohn recalled that in June 2016, the owners of the center, Wolfe Properties of St. Louis, said “You’re all going to be closed for six months. Everyone gets January to move out and we will start to renovate in February.” Wolfe spoke of a new façade, new roof, new plumbing, new electrical, with everything brought up to code and a new parking lot.”

For awhile, Mendelsohn planned to avoid layoffs of his dozen or so restaurant staff by opening a taco truck at the curb in front of the restaurant, which would keep about a half dozen employees serving customers, including construction workers at the site. That plan lasted until the summer, when the heat foiled the plan.

The alternative plan was to move employees to locations at Atlantic Avenue and Los Alamitos. However, the Atlantic Avenue location proved to be problematic, so it also closed.

“We sold the land and the building,” said Sophiea. “It was going to take $100,000 minimum to reopen it. The parking lot on Atlantic needed $30,000. When I had to write on Facebook about closing the Atlantic store, tears were running down my face.

“We were lucky. We were able to move our people to Los Alamitos, but some of them moved on,” said Sophiea. “Most of them are coming back. We’ll be taking some of the people from Atlantic, giving them jobs.”

Sophiea noted issues with permits at the Clark Avenue location. “We’ve already had three inspections this week. Stuff happens. We put in a new hood, but we are working around old equipment.  It’s clean, there’s quite a mess when they were cutting on the roof. They finished in January. We had to do all new plans; it’s been a struggle. They had to put in two new rest rooms to meet ADA requirements because of our capacity.”

Much of the old interior will be the same, including the two rooms –  one with tables and the condiment counter, though what Sophiea called the “horrible checkered table cloths are gone. The floors that don’t match and the wall divider; the layout’s the same. We’ll put all our awards toward the back.”

While working on opening, Sophiea noted, “People stop in when driving by and ask us when will we be opening. I just got a text, ‘you guys have blown our minds.’ It’s only because of our customers and friends that we’re very lucky. A lot of people are on our side. We have great people and great support.

“Our customers are so loyal. My biggest fear is people will walk in and ask what the hell have you been doing. I miss it too and don’t know if I’ll get back to normal again.”

Of the previous tenants at the center, “We’re the only one who hung on,” meaning the liquor store, the Japanese restaurant and the trophy shop have either shuttered or moved on. Parking in the small lot will always be an issue, pending the arrival of the Creative Cakery and the popular Chinese eatery, Yang Chow in the old Taco Bell stand-alone building.

“The Steady Brew Beer Co. is open only in the evening on weekends. There is no indication of a future tenant for the one-time liquor store. “No one has rented it, it’s going to be interesting.”

Sophiea has hopes that the parking situation will improve. “We have secured 25 spots for the employees and owners across the street. We’re not the only place in town with parking issues.”

A bit of the menu has been changed. “We don’t make the tamales, so we took off some of the combos that had tamales. We added the Sonora hot dog in a bun, with a bunch of fun stuff on it. It’s hot, as well as a fish dish, a tilapia dish with a combo.”

There will be no special, grand re-opening.

“We’re so tired, just exhausted. We may do something with the Cakery” on Sophiea’s birthday, August 7.

steve@beachcomber.news

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Comments

I was misquoted in your paper. I did not say the city did not cooperate. Not true. The city has really been wonderful trying to guide us to get open this week. 

I did not say Baja Sonora was going to open on [July] 23rd. If we have a line on Monday and it ruins our business, we are going to have a problem. I do not need an angry crowd at our doors on Monday. You’ve made it very difficult for us.

Can you put something on your online page stating that Baja Sonora hopes to reopen this coming Friday?

Mary Sophiea

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