• Melissa Pasanen ©️ Seven Days
• Eduardo Fuentes

Just six months after opening Casa Real in Colchester, the owners of the Mexican restaurant have embarked on a complete renovation of the former Vermont Tap House in Williston for a second Chittenden County restaurant. Eduardo Fuentes said he and his business partners, brothers Ricardo and Francisco Guzman, hope to open Casa Grande in July.

Fuentes, 31, said the 200-seat Casa Grande will have a similar menu to that of Casa Real but will be "even bigger." He said customer favorites on Casa Real's lengthy roster include birria tacos, chimichangas, guacamole made tableside and Hawaiian fajitas served in a pineapple.

The native of Guadalajara, Mexico, described the food as Tex-Mex. "If we open with authentic Mexican, most people don't like it — too spicy," Fuentes said. "Our customers are you guys."

Fuentes said the positive reception to Casa Real has exceeded his expectations, allowing the trio to add a second Vermont restaurant sooner than planned. "People really like it more than I thought, and that makes me happy," he said.

Fuentes has had his eye on the empty Vermont Tap House space at 22 Merchants Row, across from Chili's Grill & Bar and LongHorn Steakhouse, for a while. "It's a perfect spot," he said.

Vermont Tap House announced in August 2022 that it would close for several months for renovations and to fill empty staff positions, but it never reopened.

Fuentes came to the United States at age 15 and started his restaurant career as a dishwasher in Louisiana. As well as co-owning Casa Real and Casa Grande, he owns La Casita Mexican Restaurant in Berlin, N.H., and a construction company, which permits him to manage his own renovations. During a recent tour of the Williston restaurant, Fuentes proudly showed off its new features, including an expanded 20-seat bar.

For updates on Casa Grande, follow Casa Real on Facebook.