Cholulas Mexican Food opens with a twist
Henry Sepulveda opened Cholulas Mexican Food With A Twist, in West Jacksonville on July 3 and runs the eatery with cook Nelson Zayas, waitresses Miriam Garcia and Millie Hernandez (also a dessert chef), dishwasher Julio Torres and prep worker Macklyn Sepulveda, Henry’s brother.
The restaurant, at 8968 103rd St., is open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. or 11 p.m. Thursday-Saturday.
The three-page regular menu's signature dishes include Henry's Style Carnitas and Lupe's Style Carnitas, created by Henry and his wife. The lunch menu includes specials and the "Twist of the Day," which is Sepulveda's daily choice.
He said the food reflects Mexican, Puerto Rican and Dominican influences and that all food is made with fresh ingredients. The green salsa, made from tomatillas and avocado, is a favorite.
Cholulas serves wine and bottled beer.
Sepulveda, 35, was born in New York. He spent his childhood in Mexico and then moved to New Jersey before the family relocated in 1993 to Jacksonville.
He said he has worked at least 12 years in customer service, and the past five years with the IRS. He left the job April 30 to start the restaurant. His wife, Guadalupe, remains a seasonal IRS customer-service employee.
He said Cholulas Mexican Food is designed to serve families and offers discounts to military, law enforcement and church patrons.
Cholula, a small, historic city 80 miles southeast of Mexico City and known for its Great Pyramid and churches, is depicted in the wall art.
The restaurant, the former site of Trent's Seafood, seats 80. Sepulveda found the location by driving by it.
Sepulveda, who has two young children, said he has invested about $40,000 to open the venture.
"We all have to take some risks," he said. "I've always done it. I don't think about things twice. I think and I do."
He called the restaurant "a very bold move."
"I put everything in it," he said. "I intend to make this happen."
For more information, visit its Facebook page, Cholulas – Mexican Food with a Twist.
Starbucks build-out OK'd at Regency Target
The City issued the permit for Target Corp. to replace its coffee area at its Regency store with Starbucks. Williams Co. - Southeast is the contractor for the $227,368 project to renovate 1,456 square feet of space at Target's 444 Monument Road store.
M Shack plans filed for St. Johns Town Center
The City is reviewing plans for Jacksonville chef Matthew Medure's proposed M Shack restaurant at St. Johns Town Center.
Design/Cooperative LLC is the architect for the project, shown as a 2,700-square-foot restaurant at 10281 Midtown Parkway, No. 101.
Benjamin Weaver is shown as the contractor for the $500,000 project.
The Florida Times-Union's Gary Mills reported in May that M Shack, the burger concept from sibling chefs David and Matthew Medure, was planned at the town center.
The restaurant is shown as MShack on its mshack.com website.
Mills wrote that the fresh-casual, burger-fries-shakes restaurant plans to open in October at the former Ritz Camera location near P.F. Chang's China Bistro, according to Steve Schaefer, MShack's managing partner.
Mills wrote the restaurant will be the second for MShack, which first opened in November 2011 at Beaches Town Center in Atlantic Beach.
The Medure brothers also own and operate Matthew's in San Marco and Restaurant Medure in Ponte Vedra Beach.
MShack says on its mshackburgers.com site that its burgers are made with all natural beef, with no hormones or antibiotics.
"We grind our own blend of Black Angus Beef daily to provide you with the highest quality of freshness and flavor," it says.
The menu also offers hot dogs, sandwiches, fries and shakes.
The basic single burger starts at $4.20, while the most expensive burger listed is the $18.95 Medurable, a single cheeseburger topped with foie gras and caramelized onions.
Mills also wrote that MShack announced plans last year to bring the concept to San Marco to Medure's Take Away Gourmet space, across Hendricks Avenue from Matthew's Restaurant. The building is used for Medure's catering operations.
However, ongoing road construction and the reconfiguration of nearby Balis Park in San Marco Square led MShack to focus on St. Johns Town Center for now.
"We still have plans to bring MShack to San Marco," Schaefer said, "as the No. 3 or No. 4 store."
Mills said the restaurant would offer more than 150 seats inside and outside, more than double that of the Atlantic Beach location. Plans show seating for at least 164.
The space also features a bar and a shake station.