Zia Taqueria closed its old north Main Avenue location Monday and plans to reopen in its new building one block to the south on Thursday.
“It’s gone smoothly. No major curveballs so far,” said Carly Van Hof Thomson, Zia’s manager of business operations. “It just takes a while. There’s a lot to carry over and then there’s a lot of cleaning to be done at the old location.”
The new north location, 2977 Main Ave., will open with the same menu.
Eventually, Van Hof Thomson said plans are in the works to add a breakfast featuring the same cafeteria-style ordering as lunch, featuring eggs, potatoes, beans, breakfast meats and salsas. Like lunch, offerings will include burritos, tacos, quesadillas and bowls.
Draft beers and a draft cider will be added at the new north restaurant, including Fenceline Cider and Wine’s Pollinator hard cider; Ska Brewing Co.’s Mexican Logger; and two Mexican beers, Modelo and Negra Modelo. The new location will also offer a selection of cocktails.
During the COVID-19 restrictions, space limitations have kept the north Zia location from offering indoor dining, but the new location will offer 65 seats, including patio seats, with 6-foot distance between tables.
The new restaurant will be able to seat 78 people downstairs and 115 people upstairs once the novel coronavirus restrictions are lifted.
Currently, a 1,200-square-foot space upstairs will be used for overflow seating, but plans are to use the space for small-group meetings and special events. Van Hof Thomson said reservations are being taken for the space.
The old north location was about 2,000 square feet. The new location will be just shy of 5,000 square feet, including 2,500 square feet downstairs, a 1,000-square-foot rooftop patio and the 1,200-square-foot space upstairs.
Two tenants sharing the building, San Juan Smiles and Envision Eye Care, are already operating from the new building.
Zia Taqueria still holds the lease on the old location and is pursuing opening a fast-casual restaurant that features locally sourced produce and meats. Van Hof Thomson said Zia is looking for the right general manager/chef to oversee the operation.
parmijo@durangoherald.com
