photo by Truitt Rogers
Enchiladas Olé owner, Mary Perez with entrepreneurs Derrek and Laura Drury
When it opened seven years ago, Enchiladas Olé was practically a one-woman show. Owner Mary Perez did it all, from taking out the loans to open the quaint east side spot, to developing the recipes for her enchilada-focused menu, to decorating, to hiring staff, to fixing this and figuring out that.
This time, she has some help.
For her new location of Enchiladas Olé, opening soon in the Forest Park area, she joined hands with local entrepreneurs Derrek and Laura Drury, who are also involved with the Biscuit Bar, coming to the Stockyards later this year. The three have something in common: They all want to turn Enchiladas Olé into more than a successful restaurant. They’re talking restaurants.
“That’s always been the long-term goal,” Perez says. “But since it’s always just been me, I’ve never had the time or resources to focus on anything other than the food. Now that the Drurys have come aboard, I can start looking at the bigger picture.”
But first things first. The new location of EO — opening in the Forest Park Boulevard space where Sera Fine Dining & Wine and Sapristi! Bistro & Wine Bar once called home — will be three times bigger than the original (which Perez closed last year), with a sleek bar and attractive patio.
Perez will be adding more menu items, including an enchiladas and fajita plate combo, and there will be Saturday and Sunday brunch with dishes such as migas, huevos rancheros, and spinach chilaquiles.
There will be a full bar, too, with specialty drinks and craft cocktails made by a mixologist. The dining room will consist of tables and chairs from the original location, along with plush new booths.
“It’ll be everything you and I love about Enchiladas Olé,” Derrek Drury says. “It’ll feel just like the original location, very colorful and vibrant. It’ll just be a little nicer, a little more upscale.”
For the décor, Perez is bringing in paintings from her own art collection. “Portraits of Frida Kahlo, Selena — I want there to be an expression of Hispanic women empowerment,” she says.
If all goes well, this may not be the sole location of EO.
“Essentially that’s the goal — to have more than one location,” Derrek says. “There’s not really another restaurant quite like this one, so, yes, we do have our eyes set on opening additional locations down the road.”
