Charro Mexican Restaurant is coming to Springfield.
The family-owned business started in the St. Louis area and
also has locations in Taylorville and Decatur. Now, owner Ezequiel Camacho has purchased
the building at 2500 Sunrise Dr. and is in the process of remodeling it for a
fourth Charro's location.
“Back in 2011, I was planning to open a second location in
St. Louis,” Camacho said. The original Charro’s is in Chesterfield, Missouri. “But
one of my workers told me about a place in Taylorville that was closed and for
sale.”
Camacho decided to open his second restaurant in Taylorville
instead, and it now occupies 10,000 square feet in a shopping center he has
named Charro Plaza. He also opened a home goods store, Camacho’s Home Center,
in the space next to his restaurant.
Camacho then continued his expansion into central Illinois. “Three years ago, there was a location in Decatur that used to be a Bennigan’s. I bought that building and made it into a Charro’s,” Camacho said. “Now I've bought the old Char House property in Springfield.”
Springfield Char House closed in 2020 after just under five years in business, citing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The property in Whitney Business Park, just off South Dirksen Parkway, has been vacant ever since.
Camacho said he’s in the process of finalizing his liquor license
and working with the Sangamon County Health Department. He hopes to have the restaurant open by mid-April.
Rancho Chico held a grand opening last month in the former
Cancun building across the street, but Camacho said he is not concerned about
having another Mexican restaurant close by, noting that there are a couple of
others along the South Dirksen corridor as well.
“It doesn’t bother me; your success all depends on how you
take care of your customers and the presentation for your product,” he said. “We’re
unique, and I do things a little bit differently than my competitors. I’ve had
good success with my other restaurants.”
