Three years after plans to convert downtown Santa Rosa's Cantina restaurant and bar into a Santana-themed eatery stalled, the Courthouse Square icon is again changing hands.
A group of Aspen restaurateurs is scheduled to close a deal Friday to purchase the 9,000-square-foot business at 500 Fourth St. with immediate plans to renovate and rename the Mexican restaurant.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
In 2007, Walnut Creek developer Dudum Sports & Entertainment announced its intention to convert the space into a restaurant named Maria, Maria - one of several themed restaurants devoted to the music of guitarist Carlos Santana. After a series of delays and the failure of other DSE restaurants, ownership reverted to original Cantina owner Tom Wilson last August who is leasing the property to the new business owners.
According to new owner Darren Chapple, Cantina will remain in operation throughout January and early February as new chefs test a revamped menu. It will close briefly in mid-February for a bathroom and kitchen remodel, reopening officially as La Rosa Tequileria and Grille in March.
Chapple and his partners are veterans of the Cantina family of restaurants, which have operated in Santa Rosa, Mill Valley, Walnut Creek and Aspen since the 1980s. Along with co-owners Rob Reyes, Raul Gonzales, Caitlin Kurasek and Brandon Deters, Chapple spent several years revitalizing the Aspen property. Chapple, who was owner-operator, left last March.
"I planned to spend the next two years traveling around the country," he said.
But three months after his departure, Cantina founder Tom Wilson asked him to return to reopen the Mill Valley location. The restaurant had been turned into a Maria, Maria by DSE, but it shuttered soon after and ownership reverted to Wilson.
"I really saw the biggest potential in Santa Rosa, though," Chapple said.
The restaurant is expected to focus on an "elevated execution and approach to Mexican and Latin cuisine." The new business owners are also planning to feature a master collection of high-end tequilas for flights, tastings and pairings. The long-shuttered second floor is anticipated to reopen in May as a sports bar and night spot serving more casual fare.
"It's a new name, a new concept, new owners and a new vibe," said Chapple. "We're really cleaning the place up and we want to cater to the tastes of Santa Rosa."
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