BRUNSWICK, Ohio – You may not be able to pronounce the name of Brunswick’s newest restaurant, but those who attended the ribbon cutting last week were using adjectives like beautiful and awesome to describe Tlaquepaque.

Owner, Juan Grubel and his wife Brenda Gonzalez and their staff welcomed the Northern Medina County Chamber Alliance whose executive director, Debbie Boehmke, arranged the official ceremony on a rainy evening at the restaurant located at 3329 Center Road in the plaza adjacent to Marc’s.

Tlaquepaque not only has upped the level of décor in the spacious space but brings a specialty of grilled Mexican cuisine to the community. The kitchen holds a grill imported from Spain, which cooks all the meat used in fajitas and tacos and, during soft opening, got rave reviews.

City officials and Chamber board members luckily had an overhang to spare them from the rain as the official ceremony took place.

The restaurant, Boehmke explained, “Pays homage to a vibrant city in Mexico, renowned for its rich cultural history, beautiful arts and crafts and a warm, charming atmosphere.”

It lived up to that description and more. The interior features hand painted walls, created by an artist from California and feature beautiful images throughout. From the parking lot, as you walk up to the entrance, a huge picture of Mexican revolutionary hero, Emiliano Zapata is framed by the large window and can be seen even from afar. Marble-like floors, a large bar and a variety of seating fills the space.

It was Mayor Ron Falconi who stole the show when he was able to pronounce Tlaquepaque several times without hesitation as he presented an official welcome certificate to Grubel. In welcoming the restauranteurs to the city he said, “We hope you thrive here and make a lot of money here.”

Boehmke also presented Grubel with a certificate from the Chamber Alliance and from the Ohio House of Representatives from Rep. Melanie Miller.

The couple, who reside in Avon, were introduced to Brunswick when Brenda worked at a restaurant in the same location that closed. She joined “You know you’re from Brunswick if …” Facebook page and learned the space was available and drew Juan’s attention to the opportunity.

“I have three other restaurants,” Grubel explained. “They are in Ashtabula County, but this is much larger and we’re trying to do something different.”

City officials who enjoyed dinner all expressed how impressive the restaurant is and hope it will be a huge success.