Fred Juan, co-owner of El Mezcal restaurants, was out fishing with his family last October when his cell phone rang. After some hesitation, he answered it to find the mayor of Merrill on the line. Mayor Bill Bialecki said he was “putting out feelers” when he called Juan to see if the business would be interested in locating a restaurant in Merrill.
What Bialecki didn’t know was that Juan and his business partner Victor Ceron were actively seeking a sixth location for an El Mezcal restaurant. They were in fact checking out Green Bay at that time.
“We were not thinking about Merrill,” Juan said. “It was his fault,” he added, pointing to Bialecki. “That’s why we’re in Merrill. We were looking at a bigger city and got derailed.”
On the way back home from their fishing trip, Juan and his family made a visit to Merrill and liked what they saw. Ceron then took a look and was also impressed with Merrill. Juan and Ceron are married to sisters, both of whom gave Merrill their approval as well.
“You’ve got to go with what the wife says,” Juan joked.
Bialecki put the El Mezcal owners in touch with Gary and Mary Schwartz, whose Gateway North LLC owns a piece of property ready for development between the AmericInn Lodge & Suites and Pine Ridge Mobil on Hwy 64 East in Merrill. Gary said the site was planned to be a restaurant since Gateway North LLC built the AmericInn in 2001.
On Tuesday morning, all the pieces of the puzzle had come together and a ceremonial groundbreaking was held at the site, where groundwork is already well underway.
“We gratefully acknowledge that Mayor Bialecki and other city officials were instrumental in making this new restaurant a reality,” stated Mary Schwartz.
Bialecki noted that in a recent survey of Merrill citizens, dining options was one of the areas respondents mentioned as needing improvement.
“A lot of people wanted new restaurants and El Mezcal was mentioned by name in the responses,” Bialecki said. “The restaurant will expand the tax base of Merrill and that’s a very good thing,” he added.
“I think it’s a great fit for Merrill and will enhance this entrance to our city,” Gary Schwartz said. “It’ll also help to ramp up the development pace that has been set by city leadership.”
Gateway North LLC is building the restaurant, which will be leased to El Mezcal. The city has agreed to contribute $135,000 toward the development. Of that, $35,000 would be used for drainage improvements to handle stormwater coming from the north. The city would also pay development incentives to the developer of $20,000 per year over five years.
Juan and Ceron opened their first El Mezcal authentic Mexican restaurant in Marshfield in 2001. The business has expanded to include locations in Wausau, Wisconsin Rapids and most recently Minocqua. While their wives’ family has a background in the restaurant business, Juan worked in electronics and Ceron worked in a flower shop prior to opening their first restaurant.
The Merrill El Mezcal restaurant should be open by the end of the year, Juan said. They expect to employ 20 to 25 people at the Merrill location. Staff will be trained at other El Mezcal locations prior to the opening in Merrill.
The 4,600-square-foot restaurant will feature a bar, a tequila bar and seating for up to 150 patrons.
Juan said the announcement of the Merrill location has created a buzz, bringing more curious Merrill residents to the Wausau restaurant.
“We’re excited,” he said of the restaurant’s expansion to the Merrill community.