Longtime Las Vegas restaurant Chapala will close next month as the Flores siblings who run it reach retirement age

What happened

Chapala Mexican Restaurant, at 3331 E. Tropicana Ave., will close next month when its lease runs out, according to the Las Vegas Sun. The siblings who run it have reached retirement age after decades in charge of the restaurant.

The family is negotiating with another group in hopes of keeping the business open and continuing to serve the recipes of their mother, María Flores, the Sun reported. The article did not say who the other group is or when talks might conclude.

Why the family is stepping away

Retirement, not finances

Owner José Flores told the Sun the closure is not driven by financial problems, though he said the cost of running the business has gone up. He said the siblings are getting older and knew the time had come, adding that it has been hard.

Long days for a family crew

José Flores manages the restaurant with his siblings David Flores, Edward Flores and Teresa Luevano. On Saturdays, he starts work at 5 a.m. and does not get home until 11 p.m., and his siblings keep the same schedule, the Sun reported. David cooks, Edward and his wife, Rogelia, wait tables, and Luevano runs the bar.

Luevano told the Sun the family loves its customers but that the siblings are tired and it is time to rest. David Flores described cooking there as feeding family rather than a job, and said the restaurant has made many friends over its long run.

A history on Tropicana Avenue

From Los Angeles to Las Vegas

The Flores family opened Chapala in downtown Los Angeles in the 1960s, then moved it to Las Vegas at the corner of Charleston Boulevard and Bruce Street, according to the Sun. In 1978, the restaurant relocated to Tropicana Avenue, where it has occupied two spaces in the same plaza.

The Sun reported that many locals consider Chapala the first Mexican restaurant in Las Vegas. Chile verde is a specialty, and margarita demand is high enough that the house recipe is served on tap. A sign over the entrance claims the drinks are the best in town.

A changing stretch of road

The section of Tropicana between Pecos Road and Maryland Parkway was once home to some of the city's best-known restaurants, the Sun noted. Thunderbird, across the street just west of Pecos, eventually moved to Henderson and closed in 2018. The Italian restaurant Bootlegger, which started on Eastern Avenue, moved to Las Vegas Boulevard South in 2001.

Regulars and staff say goodbye

Since the closure was announced, the restaurant has been crowded with diners coming back for favorite dishes, and the Sun described a flood of online messages. Customer Tony Carrison usually eats there about three times a month but has been coming more often lately, the Sun reported. He celebrated his 70th birthday there a few years ago.

Nancy Montgomery eats at Chapala several times a month, including with her bridge club, according to the Sun. She said not everyone is happy about the closure but that customers understand. Luevano recalled a customer who came in every Tuesday for a margarita and recently died at 102.

Much of the staff has worked there for decades. Fernando Muñiz started at Chapala at 19 and is now 63, and although he is not officially a Flores, he has long been considered part of the family, the Sun reported. For more stories about local businesses and neighbors, see our community coverage and neighborhood news.

What to watch next

• Chapala is scheduled to close next month when its lease expires, according to the Las Vegas Sun.
• The Flores family is negotiating with another group in hopes of keeping the business running and serving María Flores' recipes; no outcome has been reported.