Hospitality & Tourism  May 18, 2022

Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant reopens Old Town Fort Collins location

FORT COLLINS — After being damaged by a kitchen fire last year, Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant is ready to return. The Old Town Fort Collins staple will open its doors to the public Thursday, May 19, after debuting the interior at a press event.

Owner and founder Pat McGaughran took time while running the Rio’s other locations and a College Avenue pop-up restaurant to develop new menu items — and reflect on the Colorado-based chain’s values.

“It’s our purpose in life to be good hosts,” McGaughran said.

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McGaughran was concerned that the kitchen fire could have been the end of the Rio at its Old Town location. The July 21, 2021, fire damaged the interior and roof of the building in the small hours of the night, forcing the restaurant to close.

However, the fire also presented itself as an opportunity. While a remodel had been in the works for a while before the fire, repairing the damage and revamping the interior were two tasks that could be done at the same time.

“The fire department did an amazing job of saving this building,” McGaughran said. 

While the Rio is returning to its former location, the interior has been completely revamped. The building at 143 W. Mountain Ave dates back to 1902, and the remodel emphasizes its history and connection to the community.

Exposed beams surround the dining rooms, with wood sourced from train cars used to transport wind-turbine blades produced by Vestas. New grates enclosing some dining areas were reclaimed from a former causeway in Denver. Lights in the main area of the restaurant used to serve as streetlights in New Orleans.

Rio Grande, Fort Collins
The Rio sourced streetlights from New Orleans to light the interior of its restaurant during its remodel after a fire. Katherine Stahla/BizWest

The restaurant’s interior isn’t the only thing that’s been revamped. In addition to dining-room and patio remodels, some new additions have been made to the restaurant’s menu.

New menu items include the Pineapple Pico Shrimp Taco, which features fried shrimp, pico de gallo with charred pineapple chunks and the Rio’s signature slaw pickled in apple cider vinegar and honey.

One unforeseen challenge of moving locations in the past year has been liquor licensing. The Rio is well-known for its margaritas, but the location change forced the restaurant to reapply for its liquor license — twice. To celebrate the return of the Rio, bartenders Paul Sossin and Lily Padora demonstrated their mixology skills at a press event ahead of the reopening.

FORT COLLINS — After being damaged by a kitchen fire last year, Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant is ready to return. The Old Town Fort Collins staple will open its doors to the public Thursday, May 19, after debuting the interior at a press event.

Owner and founder Pat McGaughran took time while running the Rio’s other locations and a College Avenue pop-up restaurant to develop new menu items — and reflect on the Colorado-based chain’s values.

“It’s our purpose in life to be good hosts,” McGaughran said.

McGaughran was concerned that the kitchen fire could have been the end of the Rio at…

Katherine Stahla
Katherine Stahla is a reporter covering business, real estate, agriculture and energy in Northern Colorado. Katherine loves covering stories that matter to communities all across the state. Katherine also likes making videos supplementing the news, and fun short films on the side.
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