7 minute read
A dream made real
Esperanza Lopez, owner of Spurs Restaurant in downtown Willmar, poses for a portrait in her restaurant on Thursday, July 27, 2023. Lopez has been operating her restaurant for the past six years. Macy Moore / West Central Tribune
Spurs, in downtown Willmar, a story of perseverance and local support
BY SHELBY LINDRUD | WEST CENTRAL TRIBUNE
WILLMAR — Esperanza Lopez, owner of Spurs Restaurant in downtown Willmar, never doubted her dream of opening up a restaurant in the Historic 313 building on Fourth Street Southwest, despite it taking more than two years to complete and many hoops to jump through and red tape to cut.
“I had to keep going,” even when things became increasingly more challenging, Esperanza said. “I had this feeling of persevering.”
Lopez is used to persevering. She moved to Willmar in 2004 with her husband and daughter, coming originally from Mexico. When she was a child, Lopez would help her mother in her restaurant in Mexico, inspiring a love of food and cooking in Lopez that she would bring to her new home.
By 2010, though, Lopez found herself a single mother, trying to make ends meet. She worked at both Yogurt Plus in what was then the Kandi Mall and also the Kandi Entertainment Center as a cook, while also doing a catering business on the side. Then both restaurants closed their doors around 2017 when the owners decided it was time to retire.
“It was difficult,” being a single mom and then suddenly without stable employment, Lopez said. “I didn’t know what I was going to do. I was sad.”
Her former boss, John Emami, who owned both Yogurt Plus and the former Cafe Persepolis, inspired her to open her own restaurant. He even gave her a significant step up when it came to outfitting the kitchen for what would become Spurs.
“I purchased all the equipment from Cafe Persepolis,” Lopez said, a move that probably saved her tens of thousands of dollars. A brand-new commercial kitchen can easily cost more than $100,000. “It was a good opportunity.”
In 2015, Lopez began the long journey of turning an empty space in the Historic 313 building into her dream restaurant. The business was originally going to be a part of the Willmar Food Hub project. Several agencies were involved during the rehabilitation process of the project including including Preservation Alliance of Minnesota (now known as Rethos), Willmar Downtown Development, Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar Economic Commission, MidMinnesota Development Commission and Southwest Initiative Foundation.
The building itself required a lot of work. Pretty much everything besides the exterior walls had to be upgraded, renovated or replaced. The street even had to be opened and new plumbing was installed.
“It was like baby steps,” Lopez remembered. “The building was out of code pretty much. It takes time.”
Even with all the work and challenges, Lopez didn’t regret the journey. She fell in love with the site from the start and she put her heart, soul and money into it. With an end goal and vision in mind, Lopez wanted to see it through.
“You have to follow your own path,” Lopez said. “When you have that feeling, that you are doing the right thing.”
Spurs finally opened in the fall of 2018, serving up a unique and tasty menu of food. Lopez said she didn’t want to open another restaurant in Willmar that just focused on Mexican fare. Instead, she wanted to have something different.
With an eye on her customer base, Lopez offers healthier fare for the hospital crowd and more bar-type food for the Foxhole Brewery crowd, which is located right next door. Spurs also benefits from being practically next door to the Barn Theatre.
“Their regulars become our regulars,” Lopez said. “It was a really good feeling, being supported.”
The Spurs menu includes burgers and wings, several types of appetizers, salads and Lopez’s spin on the traditional Mexican green spaghetti. She also keeps memories of Cafe Persepolis alive with her gyro platter. And, of course, the tacos.
“People all the time ask for the tacos,” Lopez said.
She does specials and unique dishes depending on the season and what produce and product is good. Lopez can also individualize menu items to fit the dietary requirements of her customers such as vegetarians or those limiting their gluten intake.
And for those looking for a fun place to get a drink, Spurs obtained its liquor license last year, allowing Lopez to serve liquor at both the restaurant and as a caterer for events.
That original feeling that Lopez was doing the right thing, even when the construction project to build Spurs was full of challenges, seems to have led her on the correct path. As of last year, Lopez was able to purchase her space in the Historic 313, a pretty big deal for Lopez.
“It was one of the dreams, and it came true,” Lopez said.
With the independence of owning her own space, Lopez is ready to put even more of her dreams into action. First up is creating a night club space in the back of Spurs, complete with space for music and dancing.
She’d also like to freshen up the paint inside and maybe, one day, open rooftop seating for the restaurant or a speakeasy-type bar in the back with the night club.
“I want to do more stuff,” Lopez said.
Helping Esperanza Lopez make Spurs a success is her daughter Stephanie Lopez and Willie Gonzalez. While Esperanza Lopez has to keep an eye on the day-to-day operations of Spurs, Stephanie Lopez and Gonzalez help her dream a little bit bigger.
Stephanie Lopez also helps with a lot of the behind-thescenes work at Spurs, such as keeping the books and making sure all the bills are paid on time. Esperanza Lopez said she is happy that her daughter enjoys working at Spurs, helping with everything from cooking and hosting events to coming up with visions for the restaurant’s future.
“You cannot do it by yourself; you need a team,” Esperanza Lopez said.
You also need a supportive community.
She also urges people to think local when deciding where to dine. At Spurs, probably the vast majority of the money taken in is then spent at local businesses and organizations. Why eat lunch at a national chain, where some of the money will go to a big corporation, when you can eat at a locally owned and operated restaurant where all the money stays in Willmar, Lopez asked.
“And, you get a good quality burger,” Lopez said.
Spurs is entering its sixth year in business and Lopez is excited for what is on the horizon. Looking back at all the challenges, hard work and love that went into creating and now operating Spurs, Lopez has no regrets.
“It is a pretty good thing,” Lopez said. “It is much better than I thought.” ■
