MINNEAPOLIS - When Pepitos Mexican restaurant closed in south Minneapolis at the end of the year, it marked yet another Twin Cities food fixture shutting its doors for good.
But two local investors decided not to let that happen.
"It's just kind of a personal passion project for us," said Eddie Landenberger.
He and Ward Johnson both have fond memories of Pepitos, which operated at the corner of 48th Street and Chicago Avenue for 46 years.
"My wife and I actually had our first date at Pepitos. And a few years later, that's where I actually proposed to her," Johnson said.
So they bought it and recruited another well-known family-fun Mexican restaurant to take it over.
"We're really going to try to keep that family dining experience," said Milissa Silva-Diaz, owner of El Burrito Mercado.
The owners of El Burrito Mercado, mainstays on St. Paul's west side for 36 years, will operate the restaurant.
And that's not all.
Landenberger and Johnson are also restoring the Parkway Theater.
"Kind of restore it to its former glory when this place first opened up," Johnson said.
When they finish remodeling, they'll show old movies with original trailers.
"Have that experience, that nostalgic experience of when they first saw that movie in a movie theater as opposed to in their living room," Johnson said.
Plus - live performances: comedy, music and spoken word.
"So we're going to have a lot of variety of different acts that people can come here and check out," Johnson said.
So they want people to know, what might have looked like the end of an era at 48th and Chicago is just the beginning of another.
The theater and restaurant are scheduled to re-open in June.