El Mazatlan restaurant coming to former Chili’s location

As+of+Sept.+17%2C+2022%2C+El+Mazatlan+signage+has+been+placed+on+the+entrance+of+the+former+Chilis+location.

Jake Moore

As of Sept. 17, 2022, El Mazatlan signage has been placed on the entrance of the former Chili’s location.

Jake Moore, Co-editor-in-chief

Members of the WKU community will soon have another dining option to add to their arsenal.

El Mazatlan, an authentic Mexican food restaurant chain with multiple locations in Bowling Green, posted a teaser video on its Facebook page on Sept. 15 for an upcoming location at 268 Alumni Ave. next to the Alumni Square Garage.

The site used to house a Chili’s Grill & Bar and has sat vacant since the restaurant’s permanent closure.

According to the Facebook post and signage found on the entrance, the location will be named “WK EL MAZ.”

Ulysses Hernandez, an El Mazatlan manager, said the brand had been trying to put a location closer to campus for about a year.

“We’ve been planning to have something close to campus, we just didn’t know where,” Hernandez said. “There’s one over there kind of close by South Campus, on Nashville Road […] But we just wanted to do something actually in campus. Whenever we heard about the Chili’s place, we just thought it was a good idea so we decided to try it out.”

In terms of an opening timeline, Hernandez said he was thinking “two and a half months, if not less.”

While there haven’t yet been any discussions about student-specific deals and events, Hernandez said the location is “probably going to have different food and drink specials.”

Besides its existing and upcoming locations in Bowling Green, El Mazatlan has restaurants in Cave City, Glasgow, Franklin, Munfordville and Lincoln, Illinois.

Co-Editor-in-Chief Jake Moore can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @Charles_JMoore.