By Kendrew Panyanouvong
A new Mexican restaurant and tequila bar will appear downtown this month, and the owner hopes to add some spice to the local restaurant scene.
Part of the Etre Restaurant Group, El Patron Mexican Kitchen and Tequila Bar will take over Italian staple Givanni’s location, 109 E. College St.
After 30 years downtown, Givanni’s closed its doors in May, and restaurateur George Etre’s newest endeavor germinated, a restaurant and bar with a Mexican flair.
“The timing was just right for us to do it,” Etre said. “We always had a Mexican place kind of in our wheelhouse, so the opportunity came, and we decided to jump on it.”
He envisions the new establishment as a vibrant, hip, and energetic place for Iowa City locals to gather and eat, putting his local spin on traditional Mexican food, he said.
He’s tired of typical “stale or traditional” Mexican restaurants, he said, and hopes that El Patron will create something different while also incorporating his personality.
“What I’m looking for is just energy,” he said. “We try to create energy downtown, and if we can create energy, Mondo’s can create energy, and Graze can create energy, it brings more people downtown for everybody.
“It’s going to be loud, aggressive, fun, and hip. That’s kind of what we do … put that sexy into it. For us, it’s kind of the process of it, how we do the presentation, and those things that put a little flair into it.”
Etre Restaurant Group also owns Takanami, 219 Iowa Ave., and Formosa, 221 E. College St., two popular restaurants known for sushi. The addition of El Patron will make it the third restaurant in the group.
Etre said he hopes that El Patron can attract a crowd much like the other two restaurants in the group and the Iowa Chop House, 223 E. Washington St., which he co-owns.
Nancy Bird, the executive director of the Iowa City Downtown District, said she believes having it as a part of the group will benefit the area.
“The drawn attraction of strung businesses is strong in the area,” she said. “We have a lot of foot traffic, and the opportunity with this restaurant will be great. I know they’re working hard and making fantastic options for the community.”
With the crew working to finish construction, Etre said the staff members are taking their time to develop menu items and branding the name in efforts to create a lively and enjoyable atmosphere while also presenting food with its own style.
Jason Alt, the director of operations, has been a partner with Etre since the idea of El Patron began. He said that although the excitement in opening the restaurant is high, taking time and making things right is key.
“It’s important for us to take time and do it right rather than rush and get it open,” he said. “There’s so [many] ideas and so many things to try. ‘That doesn’t look right? Let’s change it.’ It’s got to be right before we do it.”
As an aggressive marketing campaign is underway, Etre and workers are pushing to open doors to the public after the Fourth of July holiday weekend, around the week of July 11.
El Patron’s menu has not yet been completed, but it will include a range of appetizers, Mexican-style cuisine, and lots of tequila, including special-collection-edition tequila bottles unique to El Patron.
Etre said the restaurant has worked in collaboration with Patrón Tequila in creating a specially distilled tequila through Patrón’s single-barrel program.
“[People] can expect Mexican cuisine and cocktails associated with that presented to them in a different manner,” Alt said. “We’re not trying to make authentic Mexican food per se, we’re taking those flavors and ingredients and putting our own spin on them, presenting them a different way.”