A Tex-Mex restaurant called Sagrado has signed a lease on the former Fuzzy’s Taco Shop location on University Parks Drive, with owner Mario Conchas saying his family hopes to open in early September after renovations.
The family already has a presence on the Waco dining scene, operating the popular El Mar Seafood Grill & Bar at 414 N. Valley Mills Drive, where Casa Ole once operated. Conchas said the former Fuzzy’s location appealed to him for several reasons. He envisions diners enjoying themselves as they look upon the Brazos River across University Parks Drive, and he thinks its proximity to McLane Stadium and downtown will serve it well.
“We have interior design people on our team, and we’re preparing for a complete renovation,” Conchas said of the Fuzzy’s site, once apparently popular with students and evening crowds who partied on the patio. But Fuzzy’s reportedly defaulted on its lease agreement, and ownership, Brazos River Capital, took action and padlocked the premises.
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Local real estate agent Will Phipps said he counts the Conchas among his clients, and having been impressed by El Mar Seafood & Grill inquired about their interest in opening a restaurant across town, in downtown.
“I think it’s going to be great,” Phipps said. “I know they know how to run a good, clean restaurant. I’m proud to see him open up in good second-generation space selling Mexican and American food.”
Conchas said the family expects to spend $250,000 on the remodel.
“We’re going to try something different and authentic,” Conchas said. “We want to make sure it not only suits the Mexican community but other ethnic communities. We want people to enjoy being seated there, looking at the river. We are glad work has been completed on University Parks Drive. We made a commitment to this space before completion because we were confident it could become a successful location.”
Closures became chronic along University Parks Drive beginning in November 2020, the intersection with Webster Avenue suffering the first exposure. The bulk of construction occurred between I-35 and Franklin Avenue, which the city envisions as a welcome to downtown Waco and development along Lake Brazos, including Baylor University’s new basketball arena.
Businesses along University Parks have suffered, and some did not survive. Besides Fuzzy’s, casualties include 900 Degrees Pizzeria, Honky Tonk Kid BBQ and Bicycle World. New arrivals, including an Allsup’s convenience store and Sagrado, could improve the roadway’s fortunes.
Waco real estate agent Gregg Glime, who listed space next to the future Sagrado site, said he has signed a tenant that would create excitement. He said he could make an announcement in the coming week.
Conchas said he and his siblings grew up on Mexico. He moved to Corpus Christi at age 16 to work in a family owned Tex-Mex restaurant. He moved to Waco three years ago to help his sister, Maricela, with a restaurant she had opened. A brother, Gustavo Conchas, also is involved in operations.
El Mar, said Mario Conchas, “is doing amazing.” He said the family has run the business about two years, having learned the building had become vacant.
“I had always thought of having my own business, having my own restaurant, and when I saw that the (El Mar) location was vacant, I decided to make that phone call,” Conchas said. “That was the beginning of my big dream, my big journey.”