FORT WORTH, Texas — Longtime Fort Worth landmark Los Vaqueros is moving to a new location within the Fort Worth Stockyards after reaching an agreement to sell its historic location.
“We’re not leaving the Stockyards!” Cisneros Restaurants Inc. President Vicki Cisneros said of her family’s Los Vaqueros restaurant. “We’re staying right here in the community we love. We’re just moving down the street to another historic building, right across the plaza from Billy Bob’s.”
Cisneros Restaurants signed a long-term lease on a new location in the 1911 Stockyards Exhibits building April 22. The Cisneros family is renovating the new space and plans to close their original location at 2629 N. Main Street June 30 and open in the new location after July 4.
“While we’ve loved the challenge of a 34,000-square-foot building, it is time for the building to have an opportunity to grow further, and our vision for Los Vaqueros’ future does not coincide with expansion,” Vicki said. “Our vision is to continue to operate in a way that allows us to adhere to our core values of family, food, grace, community service and hospitality — which means a smaller footprint. It will also allow us to spend more time enjoying our grandchildren, family and friends.”
The new location is 8,000 square feet and has an adjacent patio that seats 85.
“And not to worry if you have an event booked — the new location's banquet rooms are very similar to the current banquet spaces,” Vicki added. “Not to mention, we’ll still have the Los Vaqueros West location in Willow Park, where we just added a banquet hall that seats 250 people.”
The family business traces its origins to when Amelia Yvonne “Kiki” Cisneros met Johnny Valentine Cisneros Jr. when they worked together at an El Chico Restaurant. The pair opened Los Vaqueros (named for their sons Johnny and Michael) at 2609 N. Main Street in the Stockyards in 1983. The family bought the D Hart building at 2629 N. Main Street and the restaurant opened there in 1996.
Vicki says the family is looking forward to the future of space.
“It’s going to a unique, family-owned and -operated business, deeply rooted in America’s history and excited to be part of the Stockyards community. That building has been here for over 100 years and has had many different owners,” Vicki said. “We were the longest stewards of the space so far, but it’s time for the building to evolve as well. The Cisneros family has received many offers for the building over the years, but this is the only offer that seemed to represent the building’s integrity. I’m looking forward to witnessing its next chapter.”
For more information, visit Los Vaqueros’ website.