Mexican restaurant opening in former Holiday Inn downtown Mansfield

The owner of several local Mexican restaurants and an owner of the former downtown Holiday Inn have partnered to open Cancun Tacos & Margaritas at the hotel, 116 Park Avenue West.

Jesus Davalos is a part owner in most of his family's businesses locally including Ponchos Tacos on Lexington Avenue, Mexican Grocery & Ice Cream Davalos Mercado (Market) on Lexington Avenue, Ponchos Tacos in Bellville, El Campestre in Ontario, Los 3 Mayos on Ashland Road, Tito's in Lexington, and Chuy's Tacos & Margaritas in Mifflin.

He is excited to bring Mexican food back to downtown Mansfield following the 2021 closing of Fork & Fingers Mexican restaurant after 41 years. Several Mexican restaurants are located in Richland County with plans by Hector and Gigi Berber, the owners of Tacos and Margaritas on Lexington Avenue, to open a second location soon in the former Chris Cafe on West Fourth Street, which they recently purchased.

Patel, who has made recent upgrades to the former Holiday Inn, has worked in the hospitality industry for 35-plus years. He holds a four-year degree from Georgia State University in hospitality. He had 16 years of experience operating a Hilton Garden Inn before getting into ownership of hotels.

He said he came to the United States from India at 6 years old with his parents and has always worked two jobs, including during college and even now. His father came to America with $1 in his pocket. He considers himself a proud American.

"I started working legally at 15 for McDonald's for three years and every job since I have been in hospitality," Patel said. Prior to that he helped his parents operate mom and pop motels while still in middle and high school.

Working to get a liquor license

Both men said they are working through the necessary steps to get the kitchen and restaurant opened, including getting a liquor license and meeting all the requirements of Richland Public Health.

Davalos plans to operate the Mexican eatery eventually seven days a week, and provide other types of food, such as steak and shrimp, catering for meetings and events held in the hotel's banquet rooms. Initially Davalos plans to be open Mondays through Thursdays 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. The bar will have later hours.

He has already ordered coolers and more equipment.

In 1996, Davalos at 18 years old, came with a brother, Caesar, to California from Mexico. He moved to Indiana in 2000 with another brother, Luis Davalos, before moving to Mansfield with Luis to operate restaurants.

"You always have a dream you want to have something. When you are growing up, you don't have nothing," Davalos said. "You've got to keep dreaming," he said of the many restaurant locations he helps operate.

"It's going to be nice to help people downtown come for lunch and serve people who come to the Renaissance," he said. The Renaissance Theatre is next door to the hotel.

Davalos said he is hoping to have the restaurant open this summer.

A contractor from Purdy Construction who was doing work at the downtown hotel put Patel and Davalos in touch with one another.

"I said I think this would be a great relationship because we weren't finding the right help and chefs to keep the kitchen going to the standard which was needed," Patel said.

Patel said he has eaten at almost all of Davalos' restaurants locally and finds the operations to be top notch.

"By him having multiple restaurants and his history and his love for food and passion for all the different varieties I think it is a great relationship that can work hand in hand with the restaurant and the hotel," Patel said. "We will have a great amenity, is the way I look at it, for the guests' point of view that when the guests choose hotels to stay at they will actually consider our hotel over another hotel because Jesus has his Cancun Tacos & Margaritas here."

Patel said he believes the new restaurant with a full bar and quality food inside the hotel is going to be a great thing for the city and the people of Mansfield.

Patel is looking forward to welcoming racers the last week of June and hoping Davalos can do a test run that weekend.

A banner is going up soon with the names of the hotel and restaurant.

Patel is looking for ideas for a new name for the hotel.

Renovations are underway

Patel said he has been walking about downtown and loves it. He is sharing his story about plans to make the hotel successful with everyone he meets. Many events in Mansfield, including the nationally known INKcarceration festival, will bring customers to his hotel, he said.

To date, improvements have included a new hot water system, new TV system and all elevators are up and working.

"The hotel is doing a lot of upgrades to keep the hotel shining with the addition of the new restaurant," Patel said.

"The hotel's open," he said.

Patel is the leader of the investor group that has owned the hotel for nearly a decade. The hotel was built and opened in 1984. It has a sky walkway connecting the hotel to the historic Renaissance Theatre next door.

Currently 106 rooms of the 135-room facility are open for guests.

lwhitmir@gannett.com

419-521-7223

Twitter: @LWhitmir

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: New restaurant is part of former Holiday Inn hotel downtown Mansfield