First Look: Mi Cocina at Klyde Warren Park
Edgar Guevara, CEO of the M Crowd Restaurant Group, says he purposely made the design of each Mi Cocina unique.
“We started building similar styles and doing a lot of similar things because it’s easier for the office,” he said. “My approach is different.”
M Crowd will open its 22nd Mi Cocina at Klyde Warren Park next Monday (October 18th). Mi Cocina on the Park will be in the coveted location previously occupied by Savor and closed in 2020.
“Mi Cocina has a rich history in Dallas and the opening of this one-of-a-kind landmark coincides beautifully with our 30th anniversary celebration at the service of our loyal supporters,” said Guevara, standing on the shoulders of brand founders Ray and David Washburne, Bob McNutt and Michael “Mico” Rodriguez.
Edgar Guevara, M Crowd restaurant group
The 11,000-square-foot location will include three rooms, a Mi Cocina dining area, an upscale bar called The Bar on the Park, and a kiosk overlooking Pearl Street called La Parada. In all three areas, Guevara hopes to balance the touches of Mi Cocina with “an essence of Mexico” while at the same time taking into account the structural work of the renowned architect Thomas Pfifer, who set the restaurant above the Woodall Rogers Freeway.
“The way Lance and I talked about this building, it really is a lantern in the night,” said Guevara.
The dining area is designed by Dallas-based architectural firm Droese Raney, who redesigned the Monkey Bar in Mi Cocina in Highland Park Village, retailer Forty Five Ten, and Matt Alexander’s Neighborhood Goods.
“Lance [Raney] understands our brand, ”said Guevara.
The walls in the Mi Cocina room, visible from the street in what Guevara calls the core of the lantern, will be made of lava stones that are cut and shipped from Puebla, Mexico.
“We spend a lot of money on lighting to make sure this wall becomes a standout feature,” says Guevara.
The primary Mi Cocina room is designed to shine like a lantern when viewed from the street.
The primary Mi Cocina space will also showcase bespoke furniture and pottery – designed by local artisans – on terrazzo tile floors. It will also highlight an art installation by Luis Sottil, who has a history of completing art for Mi Cocina’s Lakewood and Highland Park locations.
At the same time, the outdoor dining areas will be outfitted with custom-made tiled tables and European radiators chosen for their aesthetics, large domes for heating and lighting, and hand-wrapped concrete planters. Mi Cocina’s menu remains unchanged, although Guevara has planned a brunch selection.
The bar in the park, which offers a separate menu of cocktails and snacks, was designed to allow visitors to the nearby Klyde Warren stage to socialize and watch a little further from the stage. Guevara says it will allow event goers to watch events from a more traditional restaurant a little further from the stage if they so choose.
The neighboring La Parada has takeaway windows and a menu featuring the MiCo margarita – a new recipe specially developed for the kiosk.
La Parada will have a takeaway location near the tram stop overlooking Pearl Street.
“[La Parada] serve our cheeseburger, grilled cheese and a great margarita that we created just for the park, ”says Guevara.
Eight percent of sales from all three rooms go back to the park, and M Crowd recently donated $ 50,000 to Klyde Warren during a Friends of the Park preview event.
“Successful restaurants are the driving force behind many parks around the world, including Central Park in New York and Millennium Park in Chicago,” said Kit Sawers, president of Klyde Warren Park. “We’re excited to bring two iconic Dallas brands together in Mi Cocina and Klyde Warren Park and offer our guests exceptional Tex-Mex cuisine while enjoying breathtaking views of the park.”
Guevara hopes to continue expanding Mi Cocina as a “cluster of neighborhood restaurants” in Dallas in the coming years.
“I think we sure have the option to build three or four more,” he says, adding that he will wait for the right real estate opportunities before moving forward. “I think a lot of people want to grow in order to grow and it only hurts in the long run.”
Beyond DFW is a possibility, he says. “I am optimistic about our company,” added Guevara, saying that any opportunities in markets outside of DFW should be carefully considered. His approach would be to build a single market instead of opening sporadic locations in several different cities or states. “If you want to go anywhere, go.”
Right now, Guevara is focused on remodeling some of the brand’s older restaurants and getting Klyde Warren Park going.
“That’s what I would say is Main and Main in Dallas,” he said. “That gives us a good chance of winning, and if we find another room that way, we’ll build another.”
Dianté Marigny contributed to this report.
[ad_1]