Stephen Montoya
A local eatery known for serving authentic Latin-style street food made the announcement that it will be closing its doors for the last time on July 19th. Boca 31, a reader’s pick winner in our 2024 Best Of list in the food category took to Instagram to announce that it will be closing for good this July.
The brainchild of husband-and-wife restaurateurs Andres and Marlene Meraz, Boca 31 quickly became the go-to spot to get a plate of sweet or savory made to order empanadas. Andres, who spent many years honing his culinary skills in various kitchens that spanned from Miami to San Sebastian, Spain, perfected his take on this popular Latin-inspired street food, during his time working as a chef in Miami. This food concept, along with several other Latin-inspired menu items, was the basis for Andres to go out on his own here in North Texas.
“Originally, I wanted to do some elevated seafood. And my wife's like, ‘Well, in this specific location you might not be able to do that,’” Meraz said earlier this year. “And I was like, ‘Yeah, you're right.’ So, I had to kind of tone it down.”
But that doesn’t mean he skimped on what counts in the restaurant business — flavor. Boca 31’s menu was intentionally small, so everything on it would be fresh when served, Meraz verified.
Stephen Montoya
As for the restaurant’s name, a question Andres says he gets often, it’s really just a play on his grandmother’s birthday and the age he was when he opened the very first Boca 31 in Denton circa 2016.
“We were researching names for so long, and I was like … boca you eat with your mouth (boca is Spanish for mouth). It's easy to pronounce. It's easy to remember,” Meraz says.
Boca 31 would eventually pop up in Keller before Andres took over the old Funkytown Donuts spot on the corner of Rosedale Street and Eighth Avenue in 2023. A fire would put an end to Boca 31’s Denton locale, after which, Andres consolidated his restaurant concept to the Fort Worth spot, focusing on it primarily to keep the name going.
Despite Andres’ best efforts to keep this one-of-a-kind eatery afloat in the city’s Hospital District, Boca 31 made the announcement that it will be closing soon.
“Effective Friday July 19, 2024, we will sadly be closing our doors,” an Instagram post read. “It has been a pleasure serving our dishes to all of you, who became friends and family over the years, but it is time to say our goodbyes.”
Boca 31 will be operating Mondays through Fridays 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. up to July 19.
“We are incredibly grateful for your support throughout the years, and we want to assure you that this decision was not made lightly,” the Instagram post continued. “Due to multiple determining factors, it has become impossible for us to keep the business going. We treasure the shared experiences with you and appreciate your patronage greatly.”
