A new Mexican restaurant, Don Jose’s Grill, will open in the coming weeks in the Village Square Shopping Center on College Drive in the space formerly occupied by a string of now defunct Asian restaurants.
Don Jose’s owner Edgar Plascencia doesn’t have an opening date for his new restaurant because he is still finishing construction on the space and awaiting permits. But he expects the establishment to be ready sometime in November.
The restaurant will be the second Don Jose’s location for Plascensia. He opened the first several years ago in Kenner. It features a traditional menu of Tex-Mex style dishes.
Plascencia says he has long had his eye on the Baton Rouge market and was waiting to find the right space. Earlier this year, the 10,000-square-foot outparcel building in the shopping center, of which he plans to use about 6,500 square feet, became available and he knew it was where he wanted to be.
“Because of the students and all the local people and the high traffic count, we thought this would be a good location,” Plascencia says.
For the Village Square Shopping Center, which is anchored by a Wal-Mart SuperCenter, Don Jose’s will be a marked change from the Asian restaurants that have previously leased the spot. The space was most recently home to Grand Asian Buffet. Before that, it was Jing Du, and, prior to that, The Great Wall Restaurant.
Plascencia has completely renovated the restaurant, including the kitchen, which he says was not well suited to a Mexican restaurant.
—Stephanie Riegel
