Chinese restaurant coming to Acapulco site

By David W. Hill
dhill@modbee.com

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A new family-owned Chinese restaurant is moving into the McHenry Avenue building that has been vacant since the Acapulco Mexican Restaurant y Cantina closed in September 2007.

The 10,000-square-foot space along McHenry, just south of Orangeburg Avenue, was purchased by Bay Area restaurateur David Lau as the home for his Shangrila Chinese Bistro.

Lau said he doesn't expect to open his new restaurant until May because of extensive remodeling. He formerly owned Shangrila Chinese Cuisine in Dublin for 11 years and has been in the industry for 20 years.

David W. Hill

He sold his Dublin business and retired but got restless. Lau said he started looking for new place to open a restaurant, finally settling on the building that had been home to the Acapulco for about 25 years. He said he liked the fact that he could buy the property at 1300 McHenry rather than leasing.

A full-service restaurant, the new Shangrila will offer traditional Chinese dishes cooked with the latest style and flavors, Lau said. He said the building will get a complete makeover, going from its Mexican motif to classic Chinese décor accenting a modern, edgy look.

Lau said he will bring some cooks, waiters and other staffers who worked for him in Dublin to the new restaurant, but stressed that he will fill out the crew from Modesto's work force.

The building features a large bar as well as separate dining areas in the front and rear. Lau said he isn't worried about filling the large space and plans to set aside some of it for banquets or special events.

Asked what will set his Chinese restaurant apart from others in the city, Lau said his modern cooking style. He doesn't have a full liquor license yet, so initially the restaurant will serve beer and wine.

The Acapulco was part of the Real Mex Restaurants chain that had more than 200 eateries in more than a dozen states. The Modesto restaurant closed after its lease expired and the chain decided not to renew it.

The building has been home to an eatery of one kind or another since it opened as part of the Pine Cone Motor Lodge and Branding Iron restaurant in 1968. Over the years, the restaurant operated under several other names, including Green Tree, Howard's, Peabody's and McGuffey's.

The two-story motel, which sits behind the restaurant, originally was part of the Pine Cone complex. It was expanded at different points to more than 100 rooms and now operates as a Days Inn.

Bee business editor David W. Hill can be reached at dhill@modbee.com or 578-2336.