What’s going in The Original Mexican Eats Cafe building on Camp Bowie? We take a look

Ella Gonzales

For nearly a century, The Original Mexican Eats Cafe called this squat building at 4713 Camp Bowie Blvd. in west Fort Worth home.

Last summer, the neighborhood fixture had to shutter its 7,500-square-foot dining room when it could not agree on a lease deal with the landlord. Turning the page on a bitter seven-year legal dispute, the Mexican food restaurant fell back to its Main Street location between downtown and the Stockyards.

Renovations of the building have been ongoing since then with the space being split into four sections. There is currently one retail store that has moved in (Dos Femmes), another space is being prepped for a new tenant (Honey Loves Boho), a third will be a salon (Bowie and Byers) and the other spot is still available to be leased.

A peek inside the former Mexican restaurant shows more work being done.
A peek inside the former Mexican restaurant shows more work being done.

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Charming boutiques and coffee shops are sprinkled around the neighborhood along the bricks and the building’s owner, Derek Muzquiz, said he wants to see luxury retail businesses moving in. Real estate agent Rodger Chieffalo tells the Star Telegram they could be interior design firms, more clothing retail stores, or furniture stores.

So, why wouldn’t Muzquiz and Chieffalo choose food tenants to replace the historic home of a restaurant? Well the reason is more complicated than you think. In brief, the owner of the Mexican food restaurant refuses to give up the back parking lot.

“[Muzquiz] basically has made the decision to fill these spaces with, you know, users that don’t need a lot of parking,” Chieffalo said.

It took years for Muzquiz to get the space, the battle of the parking lot is just not one worth winning, the real estate agent added.

A look at what’s going in the space where The Original Mexican Eats Cafe used to be

DOS FEMMES, 4717 Camp Bowie Blvd.

Dos Femmes is a posh boutique dedicated to clothing, jewelry, and accessories. Lexi Eagle, owner of Dos Femme, says she hopes that her store can be a stop on someone’s stroll through the neighborhood just like she loves to do on her walk to work.

Dos Femmes, a high-end boutique that got its start in El Paso, opened its Fort Worth location. TCU alumni, Lexi Eagle, owns the shop near her home in the west side neighborhood.
Dos Femmes, a high-end boutique that got its start in El Paso, opened its Fort Worth location. TCU alumni, Lexi Eagle, owns the shop near her home in the west side neighborhood.
Dos Femmes owner, Lexi Eagle, understood how important the restaurant was to many Fort Worthians who remember the neighborhood icon so she kept the arched pathways to honor the original architecture.
Dos Femmes owner, Lexi Eagle, understood how important the restaurant was to many Fort Worthians who remember the neighborhood icon so she kept the arched pathways to honor the original architecture.
Colorful dresses hang on a rack at the Dos Femmes boutique.
Colorful dresses hang on a rack at the Dos Femmes boutique.

HONEY LOVES BOHO, 8008 Camp Bowie West Blvd 103

Another boutique, Honey Loves Boho, is also moving into the neighborhood next to Dos Femmes. The previously up-and-running e-commerce brand, will now be a brick-and-mortar store. By late spring, customers should be able to take a browse in person at the Camp Bowie boutique.

BOWIE AND BYERS

Bowie and Byers, a salon, will move in to one of the renovated spaces where the old Mexican cafe used to be.

What stores are next door

THE COLOR GAME, 4725 Camp Bowie Blvd.

Another women’s apparel and accessories boutique, The Color Game, is next door to the building that once housed the old Mexican cafe. The store primarily sells color coded apparel best for collegians to wear on game days.

One of the many color coded sections at the Color Game shop. The walls are dressed with all colors of the rainbow, starting with red, all the way to purple.
One of the many color coded sections at the Color Game shop. The walls are dressed with all colors of the rainbow, starting with red, all the way to purple.
TCU themed earrings at the Color Game store which sells clothing and accessories specifically geared for college game days.
TCU themed earrings at the Color Game store which sells clothing and accessories specifically geared for college game days.

Also on the same block is Fort Worth Coffee Co. The Coffee bar is open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day but has a back room open 24/7 for night owls who can’t take a break from work.

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