1 of 2
2 of 2
Rumors have been swirling for a while in restaurant circles that the abuelo of all local Mexican restaurants, Hacienda, was looking at a space in the Chesterfield Valley, Well, not quite.
A banner and hiring notices are up on the old Tahoe Joe's space announcing the opening of a Mexican restaurant called Estancia. Here are the dots we've connected so far: The registered owner of Estancia is Mark Sesti, which also happens to be the name of the long-time manager of Hacienda. We stopped in the other day in the Valley and chatted up some of the construction workers, who confirmed that Mark Sesti is the owner. We also found some evidence that other Sesti family members might be involved in the new restaurant, which may be wise: while not as large as Hacienda (inside or out), the free-standing building at 17258 Chesterfield Airport Road is substantial, in the 250-seat range.
And in a couple of calls to Hacienda, we confirmed two things: Mark Sesti isn't working there anymore, and Hacienda has no affiliation with Estancia. Which is why we find it mildly amusing that in several South American countries, the words estancia and hacienda are synonymous.
More as we hear it.
In the meantime, should you know anyone seeking restaurant employment, Estancia is hiring (see below).
By Joe Bonwich and George Mahe
