Juan Dominguez is no stranger to the central Iowa food industry. He’s bringing his experience as a restaurateur to west Ames.
Dominguez plans to open Patio Bar & Grill at the former Mullets and West Towne Pub building at 4518 Mortensen Road. Offering Mexican and American fare, he expects to open the Patio sometime after Aug. 20.
The large L-shaped patio overlooking a pond and the great location off of Highway 30 drew Dominguez to the site.
“I live in Ames, and I’m just like 2 minutes from the restaurant,” Dominguez said. “We have a few more restaurants, and we’ve been thinking we should open one in Ames. We saw this as a good opportunity.”
New restaraunt owner operates sucessful Mexican restaraunts in Iowa
Dominguez and his wife own Mojito’s restaurants in Marshalltown and Ankeny, and El Viejo Mexican Bar & Grill in Boone and Cedar Rapids.
“We love this location,” Dominguez said. “So far we have not had any restaurant with a patio.”
Patio will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. The menu will include breakfast from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.
“We’re excited to do something new by offering breakfast,” Dominguez said.
He said the breakfast menu will include dishes like French toast, pancakes, avocado toast and eggs. They will also offer rice bowls with vegetables and added proteins such as salmon, shrimp or chicken.
Mullets closed suddenly less than a year after opening
The 1980s-themed restaurant and bar Mullets, which previously occupied the Patio Bar & Grill building, announced its sudden closing less than a year after it opened.
Mullets’ grand opening was July 26, 2024, and it was the first Ames location for the Des Moines-based chain that offers a fun vibe and a renowned breakfast menu. The local establishment was the first to be open for dinner as well as breakfast and lunch.
The building was also the longtime home to West Towne Pub, a popular Ames sports bar for 18 years. West Towne closed on April 15, 2024.
(This article has been updated to add new information.)
Ronna Faaborg covers business and the arts for the Ames Tribune. Reach her at rfaaborg@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Ames man to open new restaurant inside former Mullets, West Towne Pub building
Reporting by Ronna Faaborg, Ames Tribune / Ames Tribune
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