Downtown Modesto tequila bar in the works all pandemic. Now it’s almost ready to open
After everything they’ve been through to open their new downtown Modesto nightspot, the friends behind Casa Maestros Cocina & Tequila Bar could sure use a shot of their own product.
Business partners and Atwater residents Daniel Perez and Luis Soto can finally see the finish line after more than three years working on the craft tequila bar and Mexican restaurant. A business license for the project was first filed in October 2018, back when it was just called Maestro’s.
The location, at the corner of I and 10th streets, had been vacant for a good decade before the men took over. The building sits directly kitty-corner from the Gallo Center for the Arts and has been a restaurant through the years — from the Caribbean-themed Bamboo Villa to the Arch Cafe & Grill, which both opened and closed in the early to mid-2000s.
What drew the men to the project was largely its proximity to the Gallo Center and the potential for before-and-after show crowds to stop in. But after so long sitting empty, the space was in need of a full renovation.
So their long process began with about a year of planning before they were approved to begin work. The space was stripped down to its four walls in preparation for new flooring, electrical, heating and air, and other upgrades that were needed to bring it up to code.
Things were going well at the start of 2020, and Perez had hoped to open later that spring, when the pandemic hit. And then things got really complicated.
“Talk about your bad timing. Construction was starting right when COVID started,” he said.
Over the past almost two years they’ve had to deal with contractors leaving, supply shortages, long wait times for equipment, long waits for inspections and more.
Still, last month their signs officially went up on the outside of the building heralding the arrival of the new establishment. While in development, Perez and Soto realized a national steakhouse had their original name, so they renamed their venture Casa Maestros.
Right now almost all of the restaurant is ready for final inspection and opening, from its blue velvet banquette seating to the light-up 40-foot onyx bar top. Renovations have taken full advantage of the restaurant’s picture-perfect view of the Gallo Center, and large roll-up windows dominate the front-facing walls. The space can seat about 150 inside with space for another 50 outside in one of two new gated outdoor patios.
Once open, the bar will serve some 150 to 200 kinds of craft tequila. Perez said people can expect an assortment of Mexican entrees and a number of small share plates from the kitchen.
Now they’re just waiting on one final, incredibly important piece of their restaurant puzzle to arrive. Their kitchen equipment — from stoves to ovens and refrigerators — is all on back order for another 15 to 18 weeks.
Perez and Soto are pursuing some other avenues to get the needed equipment more quickly. But the delay in sourcing means they will hold off on opening now until January. Perez said they don’t want to leave a bad first impression with people and rush to get the doors open during the always busy holiday season next month.
So instead the men will take their time, train their staffs and get ready for a 2022 open.
Perez, now 33, has been in restaurants since he was 13 years old. The two men actually worked as dishwashers together in a restaurant when they were 18 years old. But now they will be the ones running the show. Soto, who has his own HVAC business, did all of the heating and cooling upgrades for the restaurant.
As they wait for the final pieces to be put into place, Perez said they’ve already secured their restaurant staff including chefs. So now, after three years of waiting, there’s just a little bit longer until they’re ready.
“No matter what we’re going to open by January. It’s a good month for a new restaurant because it’s slow and we can get our staffs ready,” he said. “We’re ready for it.”
