LOWELL | Ron and Michele Burget recently opened the second in what they plan will be a long line of Tequila Si Cantina franchises.
Ron, who has more than 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, opened the Lowell location Dec. 3 and is planning to open a third Mexican-themed eatery in Dyer during the spring or early summer. He envisions a fourth and fifth in Winfield and Valparaiso.
"We're trying to build it into franchise system," he said. "We'll keep the same menu so our products and ordering are the same. ... I've got the liquor licenses already. I purchased them when they became available."
The restaurants are "upscale" Mexican restaurants rather than typical "taco diners," he said. They have white tablecloths and fresh flowers on the tables and a menu that includes sea bass and other grilled or sauteed fish, steaks, lobster tacos and other Mexican dishes as well as American-style meals.
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"We have a value menu on Tuesday," Burget said. "It's a value meal but with fresh flowers and tablecloths. People can get the same tacos they get other days, but for a dollar. ... It gives people value and creates traffic.
"It gives our staff an opportunity to have customers on a typically slow day and (allows) families to bring their kids for a good meal that's not expensive in a nice atmosphere."
The original Tequila Si Cantina opened in July 2009 in a subleased location on Broadway in Crown Point. It moved to its current spot on the courthouse square a year later.
Burget, who is president of El Tambien LLC, the corporation that owns the two restaurants, said he chose a Mexican theme because there wasn't an upscale Mexican restaurant in Crown Point. The site on the square had been a restaurant in the past and only needed to be cleaned and redecorated.
The new Lowell location, chosen in part for its proximity to one of the busiest truck stops in the county, is in a new strip mall. It basically was a shell with a concrete floor and required a $200,000 investment to complete, Burget said.
"There was no electricity and no plumbing,'' he said. "We did everything from the design to the entire build-out."
The money came from personal saving and the help of his landlord, Burget said. He expects to recoup the investment in a year to a year and a half.
Burget said he and his wife love the business, although "it's not easy work."
"Some days are better than others," he said. "The financial rewards aren't the best, but when people tell you they like the food and the decor, it makes a difference. We like to give the experience to people. It's something we're creating that feels good."
The Burgets each usually work 65 hours a week.
"We're pretty much hands-on," Burget said. "It's a seven day a week thing. As we roll into new locations, we're looking for investors to get involved to lessen the burden on us financially and timewise."