Bradley’s La Siesta closing with a bang

It would be impossible to guess how many chicken, beef or steak burritos were served at La Siesta’s restaurant along Kennedy Drive in Bradley.

However, it would be fair to say that when the restaurant closes its doors for the final time next weekend, it will be odd to see the Mexican fare establishment no longer part of the village landscape.

And talking about the soon-to-be-former La Siesta site often brings tears to the eyes of one of its key figures, Homero Trevino, who has been serving burritos, fajitas, tacos, chimichangas and margaritas every step of the way.

Seated at an empty dining room table as the lunch crowd began to exit the restaurant, Homero, a familiar La Siesta face since its Sept. 13, 1998, opening, said the time had come.

This decision, however, does not sit well with all, to be sure.

Having just completed their lunch, Michael and Megan Santilli, of Bradley, exchanged kind words with Trevino. The couple has dined at the location for years.

“We come here at least once or perhaps twice a week,” Megan said. “It is one of our favorite places.”

Michael was more to the point. He used the word “devastated” when he learned La Siesta was closing its Bradley site.

“Who wouldn’t want to come back here?” Michael said of La Siesta. “This has been a staple of Bradley.”

Homero said that when La Siesta opened, finding a non-fast-food Mexican restaurant within Kankakee County was impossible.

He said he and his late brother, Jorge Trevino, who died in February 2018 at the age of 55 after a battle with cancer, brought authentic Mexican dishes to the region.

Homero and his sister, Raquel Quirarte, and their families have continued the operation.

He said that before the explosion of Mexican restaurants in nearly every corner of Kankakee County, they found an untapped market for this variety of food.

Another couple stopped at the cash register. They expressed their disappointment with the pending closure.

Homero let them know of next week’s party. They told him they would be in attendance.

The family walked out. Homero’s eyes followed them as they passed through the doorway.

“It’s going to be difficult,” he said as he looked at the nearly bare restaurant walls. They were once filled with many pieces of art celebrating Mexican and Spanish food.

‘It’s time’

He said he simply gave the decorations away to many loyal customers.

“It’s hard, but it’s time,” he explained.

He plans on taking a two-month vacation. Then he plans on working at El Rio in Momence. It is another restaurant owned by family. He will lend his considerable skills to their effort at growing the site at 15 N. Dixie Highway.

The Dixie Highway location started as a Mexican grocery 11 years ago. About five years ago, it was transformed into a restaurant.

And like La Siesta, it has grown. The location is currently being expanded.

Many regular patrons know of the Momence restaurant. As they exit La Siesta, Homero tells them Momence is not far away. They pledge to stop by and eat.

Homero finds it more difficult to say goodbye than those who frequent the brick exterior restaurant.

He gazed out the window. The end is near. Tears are a constant companion of the 56-year-old businessman.

On Aug. 8, Homero will be hosting a “Farewell Fiesta” at the Bradley business. The party will kick off at 5 p.m. A mariachi band will take over the back parking lot under a tent from 7-9 p.m.

The restaurant’s final day will be Saturday, Aug. 9.

Hard to say ‘goodbye’

“We didn’t think we would be here this long,” Homero said. But the restaurant was seemingly an instant hit. The business was so successful that it expanded not once, but twice.

“Leaving has been a bittersweet decision. Who hasn’t eaten here? This was the first sit-down Mexican restaurant in this area.”

Perhaps La Siesta’s own success led to its departure. The Kankakee County region is now home to numerous Mexican-style restaurants.

These restaurants are in virtually every community. They stretch from Bradley, Bourbonnais, Kankakee, Momence, St. Anne, Hopkins Park and Manteno.

It has become easier to find a Mexican restaurant today than a location that sells fried chicken.

“These places took off like a rocket,” he said of the competition. “We were once ‘it.’ We had the experience. We had the right product and the right attitude. And we were humble. We never lost our humbleness.”

The La Siesta site, which many locals may not remember, had once been home to a Steak ‘n Shake restaurant. It will soon be home to a Burgers & Beer restaurant, operated by Amanda and Scott Irps.

The new restaurant is expected to open sometime between mid-September to early October. The Irps duo is planning a new-look interior.

But before any sledge hammers or paint rollers make their way into the Kennedy Drive property, the La Siesta family will spend the next week bidding their final farewells.

Bradley Mayor Mike Watson said there is no question La Siesta has been a steadfast business in Bradley.

“This has been a popular restaurant for many locals. I’ve only ever heard compliments on the food served here,” he said.

However, Watson said, the next chapter at 180 S. Kennedy Drive is about to unfold.

But before the page is turned, the public can dine at La Siesta for one more week and, perhaps, thank an operator for a job well done.