Seventy years after opening, Macayo's is looking to upgrade its look and renovate its menu.
The chain's flagship restaurant, housed along Central Avenue in a building that resembles a Mayan temple, will close and be torn down at the end of the year, with the land being re-purposed for a housing development.
But, Macayo's is not leaving the area.
Instead, as ABC15 reported back in May, the Mexican eatery is going to relocate across the street and take over a structure currently occupied by an automotive garage.
Macayo's will keep the structure of the garage, but will renovate, so it possesses a mid-century modern design -- reminiscent of what Macayo's looked like when founder Woody Johnson opened it in the 1950s.
It will also most likely retain the original Macayo's name - Woody's Macayo's.
"The objective is to create a timeless design that has no expiration date," the restaurant said in its Wednesday release.
It will be a bit of a transition and a downgrade (space-wise) for the restaurant. The current location is 20,000-square feet, while the automotive shop is 5,000-square feet. Still, they have big plans for the redesign.
A look at the renderings, shows a design similar to what the Johnson family originally envisioned -- a bold sign with the restaurant's name out front, said Ashley Negron, director of marketing and brand management.
The outside will have a large patio, a fireplace, and greenery. The interior will be a "really good balance between bar and community," said Negron.
It will also become the chain's "test kitchen" for new dishes. Negron said the restaurant is hoping to focus the menu on "True Flavors of Mexico." They're even looking to bring in a chef from Mexico to help with that development.
Woody and Victoria Johnson
The current location will remain open through 2016 and construction on the new restaurant will begin in October. They hope to transition to the new restaurant and open during the first quarter of 2017.
