Second helping

Published 6:00 am Sunday, December 17, 2006

A new LaFiesta restaurant opened Wednesday, and all signs point to a continued success for the eatery featuring Mexican-style foods.

Justin Wilkinson, manager of the new La Fiesta, 339 D’Evereux Drive, said he thinks La Fiesta Too will be another successful business venture for the owner, Ignacio Nunez.

“People were going under the ribbon to get in,” Wilkinson said, describing the attempt to have a formal ribbon cutting before opening the doors. “The place was packed.”

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The first LaFiesta, 288 John R. Junkin Drive, became almost an overnight success, Wilkinson said. “It opened in 1996. Now we are on both sides of town.”

The new restaurant is located in a building once occupied by a Hardee’s. All signs of any other occupant are wiped away, however, with an expansion of the building and extensive decoration both inside and out to give the second La Fiesta the same colorful and stylized appearance of its parent.

What is the secret to the success of La Fiesta? Wilkinson said the answer is simple. “It’s the best food in town.”

The new location will seat 42 to 43 at a time. Wilkinson expects to serve up to 200 a day. The parent restaurant serves an average of 500 to 600 a day.

“It’s a great story,” Wilkinson said. “The family came from Mexico with very little and they have made a great success.”

Attention to training the wait staff has paid off, too, Wilkinson said. He knows, as he started as a waiter with the business and has worked himself into the management position.

The new restaurant has a staff of 17, he said. “It’s the same service and the same food.”