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Brown City business owner to relocate restaurant in Lapeer






Pueblo Viejo owners recently closed on the purchase of the building that last housed Empire Wok on East Genesee in Lapeer (just west of Milnes Ford). A new roof was being installed last week by Marlette Roofing.

Pueblo Viejo owners recently closed on the purchase of the building that last housed Empire Wok on East Genesee in Lapeer (just west of Milnes Ford). A new roof was being installed last week by Marlette Roofing.

LAPEER — Pueblo Viejo Mexican restaurant in downtown Lapeer has been in business for six years — and has done so well they have a problem. They need more room.

So they’re moving, to the former Empire Wok building on East Genesee (just west of Milnes Ford dealership). General manager Vincente Sanson said the 10,000-square-foot building was recently purchased and renovations are already underway.

The restaurant expects to reopen in the new location in about six months.

“I don’t want to say exactly when because we just don’t know. It depends on how fast the contractors get in there and how long the work takes,” said the Brown City-area resident. And there’s a lot to do.

On Wednesday workers from Marlette Roofing were on site putting on a new roof, and overgrown bushes and landscaping around the building had been removed or cleaned up.

“We’re essentially going to gut the place and start over. It’s going to look entirely different than what people might remember,” Sanson said.

The West Nepessing Street restaurant currently has about 3,300 square feet of space and a seating capacity of about 90. The new space, said Sanson, will allow the restaurant to seat upwards of 200. Initially the dining space and kitchen will get a total makeover, with the front portion of the building that fronts East Genesee to see work in about a year if all goes well.

“We will probably put up some new walls and expand the bar area. We will create separate room for small parties in the old restaurant space,” said Sanson. “We may convert the front to a banquet center because there’s really isn’t a lot of that kind of space available in Lapeer for big parties or special functions. First we want to remodel the entire place and get it open before and see how it’s going for about a year before we do anything with the front space.”

With the relocation and the additional space, Sanson said Pueblo Viejo will likely double its wait staff as well as add three or four cooks. Currently downtown the restaurant has about 26 on staff, and Sanson anticipates the employee roster to swell to 35-40 people when it opens early next year.

Sanson said owners may redevelop the downtown location into another restaurant or else sell the building.

“Downtown is starting to come back. When we first opened there were a lot of vacancies down here. Not anymore,” said Sanson. “Things are looking up for downtown, but at this time the other building offers us a lot more space with room for future growth as well.”


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