GREENFIELD — At a time when some restaurants are closing because of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new Mexican eatery has opened downtown.
Los Vaqueros, Spanish for “The Cowboys,” recently started serving diners at 300 E. Main St., where Carol’s Corner Stone Cafe operated for 12 years before closing last July.
Alejandro “Alex” Gaspar, one of the restaurant’s owners, and Jack Wesley, who owns the building with his wife, Betty, said a remodeling that took about seven months preceded the opening.
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“They have gone from the front door to the back door and remodeled everything,” Wesley said. “…They want everything perfect for their customers, and it shows, and they’re proud of it.”
The walls inside the restaurant are now covered in bright orange and green paint. New tables and chairs stand atop new flooring. A singer serenaded in Spanish over the building’s speakers as masked employees served food one day last week. Yellow caution tape blocked some booths to ensure the dining area did not exceed the state’s capacity restrictions in place because of the pandemic.
Neither Gaspar nor Wesley said they were worried about opening in the middle of a pandemic.
“Good food, people will come,” Wesley said.
It’s Gaspar’s first experience running a restaurant, which he said has been exciting. He said the business employs about 15.
“We come here because we want to work together with the church and the schools, and work with the people here in Greenfield,” Gaspar said. “We want to hire people in Greenfield as well.”
Some of the menu items that stick out to Gaspar and the Wesleys include the restaurant’s special margarita recipe, original Mexican beer and the rice beverage horchata.
“They’re very excited about coming to Greenfield and sharing their cuisine with the Greenfield people,” Wesley said.
The restaurant offers takeout as well.
Ryan and Hannah Nasby wanted to stop by recently because they like Mexican food and to check out a new restaurant. They both enjoyed their meals and praised the restaurant’s atmosphere and attentive staff.
Across the dining room sat Rick Johnson, Bob Perew, Tim Colip and Bob Kindred.
“It was open, it was new, we thought we’d give it a shot,” Johnson said.
The group of friends and retired public safety employees have been coming to the building to eat for years, having been regulars at Carol’s Corner Stone Cafe.
“We used to eat breakfast here all the time,” Perew said.
They said they were sorry to see Carol’s go, but pleased with their lunches and the new atmosphere.
“I think the paint and everything brightened it up,” Perew said. “They did a good job of decorating.”
