The original vision for the prime, river-facing commercial spaces inside downtown Eau Claire's Haymarket Landing once belonged to Taiwan-based electronics manufacturer Foxconn. A 2018 announcement from the company unveiled Foxconn's plans to create a tech hub and local jobs; that project never came to fruition, leaving the property empty and back up for sale.

Then, earlier this year, news floated around that the long-vacant spot with plenty of potential may finally be seeing some movement.

On April 30, Volume One shared what longtime local Juan Pablo (JP) Nunez had been working on for the property. After paperwork was signed that spring day, Nunez officially became the owner of some 7,800 square feet of those ground-level, river-facing Haymarket Landing spaces – and hit the ground running to create Eau Claire's first upscale, Latin-inspired fusion steakhouse: Condesa. 

It was an ambitious vision with an equally zealous construction timeline. Nunez and his team were aiming to open just months later, sometime before winter hit our slice of the Midwest.

That meant building out the space, turning it into what Nunez envisioned as a sprawling modern restaurant with ample bar and dining space, ready to serve a menu tailored by a “Michelin-trained, spectacular executive chef consultant.” 

The evening of Friday, Oct. 23, Condesa welcomed a small group for a mixer event and preview of the space. Volume One was granted a “first look” of the space during that event, which you can view below.

The preview menu included small plates, greens, tacos and dessert, with a beautiful selection of craft cocktails, which Nunez is particularly excited about. The former included beef barbacoa tacos and churro cheesecake, among other dishes.

In the near future, patrons can expect fresh seafood including wood-fired oysters, empanadas and Latin-inspired dishes, familiar American steakhouse sides and the anchor of the menu, prime-grade steaks. And there will be even more to love beyond the dinner menu – brunch with endless mimosas and the full cocktail menu, boasting Latin cocktails.

Condesa is gearing up for its grand opening in the coming weeks. Keep up with the new Latin steakhouse by following its Facebook page.