Construction begins on 3rd Rio Mirage Café location in the West Valley

PHOENIX — Construction is now underway on the third location of a popular West Valley Mexican restaurant.

A groundbreaking ceremony was recently held in Goodyear for the new Rio Mirage Café location, which will be on the southeast corner of Estrella Parkway and Elliot Road, within the master-planned Estrella community.

Construction is starting nearly two years after the café’s owners, Rachel and Alex Gomez, purchased the 4.7-acre site for $2.3 million.

“We’re proud to keep growing right here in the West Valley — the place we call home — and keep doing what we love: serving great food, creating a welcoming space and giving everyone one more place to relax, celebrate and enjoy life’s good moments,” the couple said in a press release Monday.

More details about new Rio Mirage Café in Goodyear

The 9,000-square-foot, two-story eatery will have views of Estrella’s north lake and the Estrella Mountains. It will be built in a Spanish style with a private dining space on the roof and an outdoor dining area. The restaurant will also have a large bar, which is meant to be a gathering space.

This will be the first newly built sit-down restaurant in the Estrella community.

“Rio Mirage Café is a cornerstone of our vision for a welcoming, lively and connected community,” Jeff Zimmerman, the vice president of development for the Estrella Development Company, said. “We’re proud to partner with a beloved West Valley institution whose values align perfectly with ours.”

The building was designed by Phoenix-based O’Brien Luxury Home Designs and will be built by Surprise-based construction company DesertBuild.

The Gomezes opened the first Rio Mirage Café in 1999 and currently have restaurants in El Mirage and Surprise.

The restaurant is known for serving Sonoran-style food, such as burritos, chimichangas, enchiladas, fajitas and rolled quesadillas.

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