It takes a village
Pelóns, 508 and Zorro family bring new Tex-Mex flair to an old Spanish villageon Red River
May 17, 2012 | 10:01 am
Pelon's patio
One of the dining rooms in Pelóns houses a favorite painting from Jaime'sSpanish Village.Photo by Layne Lynch
Guller chose to keep the old fireplace inside the 508 bar.Photo by Layne Lynch
Pelóns features old photos from Jaime's Spanish Village on its walls to honorthe legacy of the famous restaurant.Photo by Layne Lynch
Michael Hsu, architect on the Pelóns, 508 and Zorro project, utilized oldfixtures from Jaime's Spanish Village, such as this statue, to recreate thespace's eclectic atmosphere.Photo by Layne Lynch
Exterior view of Pelóns.Photo by Layne Lynch
For 79 years, Jaime’s Spanish Village ruled the bohemian, music-centric Red River District with its no-fuss, fancy-free Tex-Mex atmosphere, dishes and drinks. Two years ago when the iconic restaurant sadly and unexpectedly closed, patrons of the haunt wondered what — if anything — could take its place. Behold the property’s three new tenants: Pelóns, 508 and Zorro.
After the legendary Spanish village closed in 2010, Doug Guller, owner of Bikinis Sports Bar & Grill and The Parish, would drive by the abandoned property almost every day on his way to work wondering what would happen to the space that Jaime’s Spanish Village had left behind. Then, an intriguing idea came to mind: Why couldn’t he do something with it?
Fast forward almost two years and the successful restaurateur is about to open three new projects all wrapped up in one: Pelóns, 508 and Zorro. The project, which is across the street from Stubb's, is set to open Thursday, May 17.
Fast forward almost two years and the successful restaurateur is about to open three new projects all wrapped up in one: Pelóns, 508 and Zorro. The project, which is across the street from Stubb's, is set to open Thursday, May 17.
“It was a massive undertaking — more than I thought it would be,” Guller admits. “But, the Red River District is still evolving, and I thought it would be fun to come in and put our spin on it. We had a lot of fun with this project.”
In fact, the old Spanish village seems quite a bit younger. The worn stone walkway outside the restaurant has been replaced with a polished wood patio. Three chipped angel statues have been painted gold and adorned with bright light fixtures. Numerous wrought-iron chandeliers outside the restaurant make the space seem a little more refined. Trademarks of Jaime’s Spanish Village, like the 500-year-old tree, are still there, but Pelóns brings about a breath of fresh Tex-Mex air.
Pelóns, the restaurant on the property, features classic Tex-Mex dishes; the side house, 508, is a chic bar with a mirror ceiling, worn fireplace and a classic bar menu of cocktails and beers; and Zorro, the food truck, hosts a small menu of signature dishes from Pelóns. Combined, the whole property is designed to host 500 people; the restaurant alone holds 110.
In fact, the old Spanish village seems quite a bit younger. The worn stone walkway outside the restaurant has been replaced with a polished wood patio. Three chipped angel statues have been painted gold and adorned with bright light fixtures. Numerous wrought-iron chandeliers outside the restaurant make the space seem a little more refined. Trademarks of Jaime’s Spanish Village, like the 500-year-old tree, are still there, but Pelóns brings about a breath of fresh Tex-Mex air.
Pelóns, the restaurant on the property, features classic Tex-Mex dishes; the side house, 508, is a chic bar with a mirror ceiling, worn fireplace and a classic bar menu of cocktails and beers; and Zorro, the food truck, hosts a small menu of signature dishes from Pelóns. Combined, the whole property is designed to host 500 people; the restaurant alone holds 110.
“I like to think of Pelóns as the main attraction, 508 as the crazy aunt and Zorro as the crazy uncle that has his own food truck.” - Doug Guller
“When we came on to the property, we knew there would be a bar and a restaurant. Zorro actually came out of necessity. There is no path to bring food from the restaurant to the bar, so some of our guys were like, ‘Duh, we live in Austin, the food trailer capital of America, let’s put together a food truck,’” Guller says. “I like to think of Pelóns as the main attraction, 508 as the crazy aunt and Zorro as the crazy uncle that has his own food truck.”
In redesigning the antique property, Guller enlisted the minds of famed architect Michael Hsu, landscape designer Mark Word and the branding genius of Guerilla Suit to conceptualize the trio of projects. Guller says that he wanted to reopen an exciting, modern Tex-Mex restaurant while embodying successful brands like Maudie’s, Trudy’s, Guero’s, Chuy’s and Pappasito’s.
In redesigning the antique property, Guller enlisted the minds of famed architect Michael Hsu, landscape designer Mark Word and the branding genius of Guerilla Suit to conceptualize the trio of projects. Guller says that he wanted to reopen an exciting, modern Tex-Mex restaurant while embodying successful brands like Maudie’s, Trudy’s, Guero’s, Chuy’s and Pappasito’s.
Primary highlights of Pelóns’ “El Menu” include Tex-Mex favorites like queso, fajitas and tacos, while also featuring playful riffs like blue-corn-tortilla-encrusted whitefish, tomatillo-smothered chile rellenos and shrimp and lobster enchiladas.
Through his efforts, Guller wanted to maintain the legacy of Jaime’s Spanish Village while adding personal touches. In fact, the name Pelóns comes from a Spanish nickname the kitchen crew jokingly gave Guller: bald guy.
Through his efforts, Guller wanted to maintain the legacy of Jaime’s Spanish Village while adding personal touches. In fact, the name Pelóns comes from a Spanish nickname the kitchen crew jokingly gave Guller: bald guy.
“We wanted to pay homage to Jaime by putting pictures and relics up that tell the restaurant’s story,” he says. “I know without them we wouldn’t exist and there is so much history here that people remember. We just wanted to give it a facelift and bring the space back to life.”
In fact, Guller specifically sought out Hsu, known for his work on Austin restaurants like La Condesa, Uchiko and Haddingtons, to carefully revitalize the space. The black and gold structure still has that cozy atmosphere that Jaime’s Spanish Village was famous for, but now features new modern fixtures, classic paintings, bright color palettes, sturdy furnishings and a renovated aesthetic environment.
In fact, Guller specifically sought out Hsu, known for his work on Austin restaurants like La Condesa, Uchiko and Haddingtons, to carefully revitalize the space. The black and gold structure still has that cozy atmosphere that Jaime’s Spanish Village was famous for, but now features new modern fixtures, classic paintings, bright color palettes, sturdy furnishings and a renovated aesthetic environment.
"It’s a place that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and we wanted to keep that interesting and cozy atmosphere alive." - Michael Hsu
“Michael [Hsu] has done some unique restaurants in the city, but he has never done a project on Red River [Street],” Guller says. “I thought it would be an exciting challenge for all of us to develop something new in this district. I know this was a departure from his normal.”
Hsu says he dined at Jaime’s Spanish Village over the years and actually knew the former owners. So when the talented designer was hired to redesign the property, Hsu focused on utilizing the eclectic features already housed in the space, such as an old fireplace and the huge 500-year-old tree.
Hsu says he dined at Jaime’s Spanish Village over the years and actually knew the former owners. So when the talented designer was hired to redesign the property, Hsu focused on utilizing the eclectic features already housed in the space, such as an old fireplace and the huge 500-year-old tree.
“We wanted to make people feel like they were coming to visit an old Spanish village,” Hsu says. “My team came in to redecorate it and tune it up. It’s a place that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and we wanted to keep that interesting and cozy atmosphere alive. It was mostly stripping and cleaning, not too much redesigning.”
Guller says that Pelóns isn’t what patrons would normally expect from him, given his previous projects like Bikinis Sports Bar & Grill, but he says he was excited to leave his comfort zone and do something more risky and creative. In fact, he hopes Pelóns’ menu, drinks and overall atmosphere will prove he isn’t a one-trick pony restaurateur.
Guller says that Pelóns isn’t what patrons would normally expect from him, given his previous projects like Bikinis Sports Bar & Grill, but he says he was excited to leave his comfort zone and do something more risky and creative. In fact, he hopes Pelóns’ menu, drinks and overall atmosphere will prove he isn’t a one-trick pony restaurateur.
"When we open a Bikinis, it's easier because we've done it a number of times. We focus on sports, the food, the view and making sure all three of those are always at a high level," he says.
"With Pelóns, it was a different story entirely. It took a lot more coordination with multiple people. Every step was carefully thought out because it’s a legendary location, a new menu and a new brand. I can’t wait for people to come and try what we’ve put together for them.”
