The Lake City Diner along Route 66 in Santa Rosa, N.M., will reopen in early May after it abruptly closed a few months ago, according to the current print edition of the Guadalupe County Communicator, based in Santa Rosa.
The newspaper reports that the restaurant, housed in a 1901 downtown building, will reopen under new owners Dicky and Rhonda Gutierrez. After purchasing the business from previous owner Frances Marquez, they recently started remodeling the kitchen and dining area.
Gutierrez is a former city council candidate, but also earned a culinary arts degree. The newspaper reports:
At first, the menu will be similar to Marquez’s menu, but quite soon it will begin to evolve in new directions, perhaps with Spanish paella, seafood and “a lot more steaks … steaks and lobsters,” Gutierrez said.
The building is older than even the landmark Guadalupe County Courthouse across the street. Before it became a restaurant, it was a bank, then a women’s department annex to a clothing store.
A photo of the Lake City Diner can be seen here.