Red Mesa Mercado, a popular Cali-Mex eatery located in St. Pete’s EDGE District, will expand to the Pasadena neighborhood in west St. Pete in 2024.
The new outpost will be situated at 6001 Central Avenue, which was previously home to Two Graces and Reading Room.
Red Mesa Mercado, which opened at 1100 1st Avenue North in 2014, offers family recipes with Cali-Mex and old-world Mexican flavors in a fast-casual format. Best-sellers include the Shrimp Tacos, Cali Burrito, and the Plantain Bowl.
Featuring 250 seats and a 20-person freestanding full-liquor bar, the upcoming location appealed to Chief Operating Officer Pete Veytia III and his team because of its 1950s architecture, citing that the building’s ‘Palm Springs feel’ has ties to his mother’s upbringing in Southern California—a major inspiration behind the Mercado brand’s origin.
“We try to build food destinations, and Mercado is—without a doubt—the concept we developed to be replicated,” said Veytia. “We look forward to debuting a truly unique space that allows us to stay true to our roots while continuing to meet the community where they are with this concept.”
New renderings reveal completely renovated exterior with an expansive patio, new windows, and colorful murals featuring traditional Mexican papel picado (or punched paper) designs.
In addition to Red Mesa Mercado, Red Mesa Group is also responsible for Red Mesa, which opened on 4th Street in 1995, and Red Mesa Cantina, which debuted in downtown St. Pete in 2009.
The expansion plans do not stop with the opening of Red Mesa Mercado in Pasadena. The group expects to open more Red Mesa Mercado locations across Pinellas County in the years to come.
“A key driver of the impressive talent we’ve been able to bring in is our shared vision of expanding and improving one dish at a time,” said Veytia. “This team is hungry and recognizes that growth for the brand translates to innumerable opportunities for growth in their careers.”
In just the last five years alone, the group has brought Maintenance, Advertising, Marketing, Purchasing, Logistics and Human Resources in house, promoting employees from inside the company to fill necessary positions.
Pending permitting and approvals, construction for the second Red Mesa Mercado is expected to begin in October.
