ZANESVILLE – The candles, the stonework, the furniture, the large chandelier-type lamp. The new Mexican restaurant coming to Maple Avenue, El Tenampa Mexican Grill, will be modeled after traditional homes in Guadalajara, said co-owner Enrique Gomez.
He wants the restaurant to possess a home-like atmosphere and hopes local families can bond and make good memories.
“We want people to feel comfortable in our restaurant with the service and good food. I want them to feel happy that they are there,” he said.
In fact, the chairs, tables and booths are coming straight from Guadalajara, as Gomez hopes to open the restaurant in late spring or early summer. “We want to open in like one or two months,” he told the Time Recorder.
The 7,000-square-feet space is still under construction, with scattered tables and booths waiting for installation. A colorful, hand-painted mural is underway, and the bar’s stone layout was still being placed as well.
The $175,000 project started in fall 2025 and will eventually seat around 240 people once completed.
It will start with a team of around 20 staff members, including servers, dishwashers, and cooks, Gomez added.
Those interested will be able to eventually apply in person once the restaurant formally opens. Listings will also be posted on El Tenampa’s in-progress website and Facebook page, which are expected to be completed in later April, Gomez noted.
Based on his 26 years in the restaurant industry, Gomez believes the Muskingum County community will especially enjoy El Tenampa’s fajitas, chimichangas and margaritas. The final menu, however, is still being worked on, Gomez noted.
Gomez, who has three partners, has experience working for several Mexican restaurants in Athens, Marietta and in Parkersburg, West Virginia.
El Tenampa will be located at 3291 Maple Ave., in the Country Fair Shopping Center.
Shawn Digity is a reporter for the Zanesville Times Recorder. He can be emailed at sdigity@gannett.com or found on X at @ShawnDigityZTR.
This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: El Tenampa Mexican Grill will bring Guadalajara to Zanesville
Reporting by Shawn Digity, Zanesville Times Recorder / Zanesville Times Recorder
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