32-07 30th Ave. (NYC ZoLa)
Sept. 3, 2019 By Shane O’Brien
A California-style Mexican restaurant is coming to 30th Avenue at the beginning of next year.
Calexico will open at 32-07 30th Ave. in early 2020, the restaurant’s owners have confirmed. The eatery will open on the former site of Salt and Bone Smokehouse, which closed in October last year.
The restaurant chain currently operates nine locations, seven of which are in New York City, with one in Detroit and another in Bahrain.
The 30th Avenue establishment will be its first in Queens. Weheartastoria was first to report Calexico is coming to the neighborhood.
The chain serves a selection of burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, fajitas and tacos, as well as a wide variety of sides such as nachos and salads.
The Astoria location will employ between 50 and 60 staff, the owners said. They plan to serve brunch, lunch and dinner and operate a happy hour.
(Calexico)
Dave Vendley, who set up the restaurant chain with his two brothers, Brian and Jesse Vendley, said that they have always wanted to open a location in Astoria.
“It was the first area we lived in when we first moved to New York City,” Vendley said. “We absolutely love the area and have always wanted to open a restaurant in the neighborhood.”
Calexico was founded by the three brothers when they moved to New York City from Calexico, California, from which the restaurant gets its name.
The town is on the border of California and Mexico and much of its cuisine is a hybrid of food dishes from Southern California and Mexico.
When the three brothers moved to New York, they set up a food cart in SoHo in homage to that cuisine. They have since expanded into several brick and mortar locations.
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24 Comments
Nothing will ever survive in that location since Athens Cafe. Maybe split the building up into two businesses, or turn it into some kind of pet kennel. The streets are littered with stains of dog poop so there must be a rise in dog owners.
@30k a month they better sell cocaine on the side just to make the rent ! Y
Good for you.
But
Everyone deserves a break
It’s a huge step up compared to anything the Bareburger team puts out.
Make it a bright yellow with Spanish style roof tiles to give it that authentic Mexican look.
I prefer to support authentic owned restaurants (real Mexican restaurants) not some gringos version of Mexican cuisine.
Does Astoria really need another restaurant of any ethnicity? No wonder why there are so many rats.
Move to a Republican paradise like Alabama, you can dine in the safety of a Golden Corral.
The word cuisine is reserved for French and Italian food. I have eaten better Mexican food, and it is still gloried fast food.
sounding a lot like a nazi there with your thinly veiled racism ?
I heard Starbucks was supposed to take over this location. It’s pretty much the only avenue along the N/W line without a Starbucks
You can easily walk to the Astoria blvd starbucks or theres two locations up and down Broadway and 35th av and ditmars …. plenty of cafes besides that chain
Starbucks is in Astoria on the N/W line on Broadway and 31st St.
Found the menu from the Detroit location
http://places.singleplatform.com/calexico-detroit/menu
Agreed with the black paint, on its own it’s too gloomy but a good blank canvas to work with for whoever’s job it will become to turn it into “Calexico”… awnings, planters, etc
Black is beautiful!!
>>Black is beautiful!!
RIGHT ON!! Power to the people
My favorite color to wear, for sure – it’s a lovely color, but I hold the opinion that in this particular case S&B went about it wrong.
Your biases are not evident to you. But they are always visible to others.
Umm, they have locations in NYC- are you looking at detroit for?
It has prices.
Why not? Same people, it’s on topic.
What’s with you people this place is painted black before…it doesn’t mean it will be that color once it becomes that restaurant…
I been told this location will be torn down for further developnment . Not a restaurant at all
We don’t need
Finally!Athens cafe was so good place!!hopefully this place will be good and last longer then previous two who btw ruined that building inside and outside with that black paint looks like it’s been in fire ?!please make previous look