by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
According to the owners of Doña Maria’s Mexican Cantina at the Landing, a second location in Riverside will open by the end of the month.
“We’re almost there,” said Martin Benavides, part-owner. “We’ve worked very hard and it’s exciting to be able to see our family business grow.”
Doña Maria’s is owned and operated by Doña Maria Benavides and her three sons, Juan, Louis and Martin. The Landing location opened in 2001.
“A long-time dream,” Benavides said the new restaurant will offer lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday.
“We have some good specials planned, too,” he said.
Benavides said menu items include hand-made tortillas, beans, tamales, tacos and burritos.
“You definitely won’t leave hungry,” he said.
Located at the corner of Margaret and Lomax streets, Benavides said the second location happened almost by accident.
“We were doing some research about it and one day we drove by this place,” he said. “It looked promising and we were told we could do very well here.
“Before we knew it, we were inside fixing it up and decorating. Keep watching though, we’ll have a third location before you know it.”
Following a soft opening, Benavides said a special grand opening will follow some time in July.