At the intersection of Hastings Way and Seymour Road in Eau Claire, a nondescript building is taking on a new persona with Frida Kahlo blue and tropical lime green paint. Having opened as The Chicken Hut in the 1970s and closed recently as the American Family Table Restaurant, the building is scheduled to open on Feb. 1, in time for Valentine’s Day, as Casa Vallarta Mexican Restaurant. “We wanted bright colors to call attention to it being a Mexican restaurant,” said Pablo Mendez, a family member behind the new venture who has worked in the restaurant business for close to a decade. “We will also continue to offer our superb-tasting array of Mexican dishes.” Casa Vallarta will join the family’s two other extremely popular restaurants, which the majority of their customers consistently rank high on social media: Casa Margarita on Fairview Drive and Casa Mexicana on Bridge Street in downtown Chippewa Falls. ”The new owners have been working on the building a lot,” Jessica Anderson, who lives nearby, said. She is thrilled about the restaurant. “I hear their fajitas are amazing, and I can’t wait for it to open."

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