By Gretchen Webster
WESTPORT — Mexicue, a restaurant offering “contemporary Mexican-American” fare at 38 Main St., has closed after only two years.
Despite a planning process that took about a year, an interior with bright original murals by artist Magda Love, a view overlooking Main Street and a large patio, the restaurant failed to consistently attract the large number of patrons it enjoyed when it opened in November 2022. It closed permanently Sunday night.
“They weren’t as busy as they needed to be,” former general manager Barry Brennan said Monday. He resigned last week, he said, and will be starting a new job at another establishment in Darien.
Mexicue still maintains restaurants in Stamford and New York City.
Brennan said Mexicue’s second-floor location may have been part of the problem, and that an inadequate inventory of downtown parking for both workers and customers definitely contributed to the restaurant’s demise.
“Parking is always an issue … Westport needs a parking garage,” he said Monday, echoing comments he made back in April 2023 when merchants were protesting plans to remove 40 parking spaces from the Parker Harding Plaza lot. “Our staff rides around and around before they come in,” Brennan said then about a lack of parking spots. The final plan to redesign Parker Harding is still in the works, but subsequent revisions added more spaces than allotted in the initial proposal.
And in a letter to the Westport Journal in June, Brennan supported permit parking for downtown employees. “A parking pass for merchants would go a long way in helping the business owner run their operations,” he wrote.
Two Representative Town Meeting members from District 9, which encompasses downtown, said they are concerned about the closing of Mexicue and the implications it could have for other downtown businesses.
“I’m sad about the closing of Mexicue,” said RTM member Jennifer Johnson. “There’s an ongoing frustration for owners of Main Street businesses with parking.”
“The town has to be more business friendly,” commented Sal Liccione, another District 9 RTM member. He blames First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker for failing to appoint an economic development director for the town, and for what he says is the administration’s failure to respond to merchants’ concerns.
Another restaurant, De Tapas Gastropub at 180 Post Road East, closed in January of this year after less than two years in business, also for financial reasons stemming from not enough patronage.
And Rye Ridge Deli became 159 Main Street Delicatessen Restaurant earlier this year when it was sold to new owners.
Several major retail spaces in the heart of the business district also remain vacant.
These include the large Main Street spot occupied by Oka home furnishings, which closed abruptly in June when the business’s U.S. operations filed for bankruptcy, and the former Patagonia space at the corner of Post Road East and Church Lane, which closed on Christmas Eve last year after 18 years in business.
On the other hand, there has been a recent influx of new businesses.
These include the Bridge Restaurant, 541 Riverside Ave. in Saugatuck, which opened in October, Choupette crêperie, 43 Church Lane, which also opened in October, and the Big Y grocery store at 1076 Post Road East, which opened in November.
Freelance writer Gretchen Webster, a Fairfield County journalist for many years, was editor of the Fairfield Minuteman and has taught journalism at New York and Southern Connecticut State universities.
It’s always easy to blame lack of parking. Take a look at how packed Pink Sumo and Spotted Horse are even when Church Street is closed. It more likely, monthly rent, 2nd floor location, large size of space, heavy reliance on bar and lack of visibility caused its demise. I’ll leave the menu to others. Walking by Spotted Horse and Pink Sumo and seeing how packed the places are only adds to their desirability.
It is lack of parking. And the 3 hour restriction.
Are you suggesting the GM of mexicue is conspiring against the administration ?
No Rob! He’s not. Do you own a business on Main Street ?
I don’t think so.
So while you can comment however you wish, your comment comes from a place of zero knowledge.
And when spotted horse ( far far less busy than it used be) and pink sumo may appear busy when the road is closed, where do you think those customers park instead of on church lane.
Yup you guessed they park in the rest of towns parking yet they block 21 spots between church lane and the parking lots which are inaccessible by it’s closure.
Guess what Rob, that inconveniences the rest of us !
And we are not happy about it. Church land should never be closed.
It’s ludicrous !
Full disclosure – I own 90 and 100 Post Road East. 90 PRE (Old Town Hall) is home to 2 very successful restaurants, Don Memo and Walrus Alley run by Bill Taibe and Joe Farrell. They have been my tenants for over 17 cumulative years and I speak to them regularly about what makes a restaurant successful. Walrus Alley just exercised its lease option. Accordingly, I stick by my comments above and would like to add, the lack of patio/street presence at Mexique. Just look at the beautiful front street patio areas and side alley that both Don Memo and Walrus Alley utilize. Parking alone did not cause Mexique’s demise.
Additionally, Nomade has been my tenant at 2 of my Norwalk properties since Scott Rocklin started the restaurant fit up way back when. Nomade’s lease is up January 31, 2025, time of the essence option date was November 31, 2024, which Nomade failed to exercise. You are on notice to make other arrangements and I am willing to bet when responding to my post that you never recognized me as your Landlord.
Successful restaurants ? I guess that depends on what you categorize as success. I do not categorize either of those restaurants as successful. They survive inspire of parking.
Full disclosure I knew exactly who you were. That doesn’t change that you are a clueless dude, trying to curry favor with the selectmen.
Scott arranged our leases with you.
You screwed us on the first one. And on the second.
Haha. I love the airing out of laundry in public. As though it behooves you.
Rob ! You have been ripping us off for years. Don’t worry, we have other arrangements as of end of January. Exactly why we did not exercise any renewal.
Scott incidentally has nothing good to say about you.
I do enjoy watching you brown nose the administration.
It’s hilarious.
Don’t forget, as a resident I’m watching keenly (with deep pockets) and closely any deals you try to shuffle through. I’m already suing the town. I have no issue adding another law suit.
You are not a friend of Westport !
All about the $1
Look out. Plenty of us willing to put our money where are mouth is. Especially if it stops your greed and ruination of our town right in its tracks.
Lawsuits seem the only way to stop ppl like you.
Keep destroying our town, let’s see how that works out for ya !l
I disagree, there is parking during the day.
Mexicue was not open for lunch, when consumers were shopping!
I stroll Main Street with my daughter and there is ample parking, always.
This push for urbanization is a farce, built on by parking shortages. While I no longer live in the Main Street area, or town; businesses have filled empty commercial buildings since 2019.
Mr. Haroun is “spot on” about spotted and other restaurants and even the location. Well done!
Mr. Haroun hasn’t a clue. He doesn’t own a business on Main Street so he speaks from not knowing anything whatsoever about parking struggles.
But then since you have no clue either it’s hardly surprising you both agree.. lol.
Businesses did fill those empty spaces and now we have lost lots of them.
All or most of them blame parking.
But I suppose you 2 rocket scientists who own no business on Main Street are here to preach to those of us that do about things you know zero about.
Please spare us the uneducated lectures.
Parking in westports downtown is impossible. Everyone knows it.
Except you geniuses.
Well I’m here to tell you it’s a huge issue and has been since 1960.
And I own 3 businesses there so I think I can speak from experience.
I see, as usual, we’re off to the races with your unending insults to people who make comments that you disagree with. You continue to act ‘as if’ you’re the only one who has any knowledge of downtown issues; you are not. One does not need to own a business to observe, follow the discussion, and understand the concerns of the community when it comes to parking.
Interestingly, I agree with some of your positions about parking in town but they get lost in your incessant and, at times, uncontrolled, insults.
I assume, that the fact you’re expanding your business to another Main Street location, means the parking plight isn’t negatively impacting you as you insist it is affecting others. I wonder why that is?
Again, I agree with some of what you argue but the way you argue is just so uncivilized. I’m sure you can do better. To be a successful business owner in the service sector, you must have it in you.
Kevin, it absolutely takes owning a business on Main Street to be objective about the lack of parking causing business owners issues such as have caused the likes of mexicue to call it quits.
When 2 characters with clearly ulterior motives take to the comments to all but accuse that GM of “making it up” then yes they deserve to be called out.
Rob Haroun as a developer needs to stay on the right side of the administration because it might affect his business opportunities if he does not.
Bertram Hood only ever seems to comment on pieces Sal liccione either is quoted in or has defended in his capacity as representing the residents or merchants in his district.
It is only business owners on the street who can attest to just how appalling of a parking problem downtown has because they are who listens to customers remarking on it on a daily basis.
They also have staff who drive around in circles looking for parking to come to work.
Why would an outgoing business, with a decade of success in the industry, who invested so much make that up.
They would not.
And why would people with zero clue try and sabotage the truth ?
Denial ? A favour for the administration ?
Whatever the reason the appropriate comment from them should have been-
How unfortunate, I’m disappointed to see another experienced and vested business fail to make it in our town. They have successful business models. These businesses are not newbies. Let’s listen to the reasons why. Westports decision makers needs to take pause and see the proven carnage these parking policies are causing.
It is not helpful for characters to, infer in their comments that these people are lying.
It is frustrating and quite frankly beyond comprehension.
I’m expanding my businesses to a plaza with a private parking lot.
One tooker and DPIC has zero say over.
I wouldn’t have dreamt of doing otherwise.
Off to the races… lol.. because ? Ahhh… because each customer walking through our door complains about parking. But you’d rather be a hater ? I believe mexicue. They failed because predominantly parking was a huge issue.
Parking IS the biggest issue facing downtown Westport.
Ms. Webster, you cry and bully about parking scarcity, but your new business at 190 main, is taking away four (4) parking spaces?
How do you say? Skullduggery.
My new business at 190 main is attached to a private parking lot which is none of your business.
It is taking 2 parking spots in a PRIVATE ( again none of your business) parking lot. The same 2 spots permitted since COVID long before I bought the business.
And far fewer spots than other businesses in town such as red barn and countless others.
I do not cry and bully anyone about parking. On the contrary that is what the selectman’s body and the DPIC do.
No skullduggery going on on my end
I have never had so much trouble parking in the Main Street area that I couldn’t go to the restaurant I wanted. The problem is there are a lot of mediocre restaurants that charge a lot. I would suggest that restauranteurs look at taking over The Porch on Cross Highway. It is a restaurant desert, and I would love having a restaurant I could go to close to home. There is nothing better than having a restaurant close to home. P.S. remind me never to patronize Mary Clara Webster’s business. What a rude woman!
Janet Lewis, you have a different opinion on downtown Westport’s challenges with parking.
I hope someone worthy takes over the lease at The Porch which is and has been fabulous.
Then you won’t have to come to downtown Westport’s mediocre restaurants..
Since I am not aware of you having been to mine, please let us know which you consider mediocre.
Eager to hear.