One of the signs of the evolution of Loreto Bay as more than
just a collection of homes, has been the addition of businesses in the
commercial spaces along the Paseo that bisects our community. This Fall marked the opening of another of
these new enterprises, El Cardon (The Cactus) a Cantina style restaurant
serving traditional Mexican foods.
El Cardon specializes in a lunch menu of light meals
including tacos, burritos, tostados, cheviche and salads, with a beverage
selection that includes micro-brewery drafts as well as bottled beers,
margaritas and several non-alcoholic choices.
They are also open early evenings several times a week with a special plate
such as Pescado Veracruz, Chiles Rellenos, Enchilada Verdes, or Chicken or Pork
Mole in addition to the regular menu.
This new dining option in Loreto Bay has proved to be a
popular addition to the growing number of food venues here in Loreto Bay; Hoyo
19 (the Golf Clubhouse restaurant), Macciatos (a coffee shop/bakery/pizzeria),
El Corazon (barrista coffee/bakery serving breakfasts and lunches) and The Wine
Bar (with a tapas style menu) as well as the restaurants at the INN, or Loreto
Spa and Golf Resort. Gone are the days when going out for a meal here in Loreto
Bay necessarily meant a 30 km round trip into town, we now have a growing
selection of interesting and tasty options within an easy stroll from homes and
this has added a significant improvement in lifestyle for the growing numbers
of Residents.
The Owners of El Cardon are Kieran and Norma, familiar to
many Loretanos as the proprietors of “1697”, one of the more popular
restaurants in the town of Loreto, located overlooking the historic (and
recently renovated) town square. One
afternoon this week I sat down with Kieran on the patio of El Cardon to talk
about the new restaurant and the fascinating story of how this couple came to
make a place for themselves here in Loreto.
Unlikely as it may sound, the story begins in Hong Kong
about 10 years ago where Norma, who was born in Mexico, was working for a Bank
developing export markets for Mexico and Kieran was an IT specialist with an
American firm, recently transferred from Australia and halfway around the world
from his birthplace in Ireland. Sharing
a love of food and travel their relationship grew as they vacationed together
in exotic places and talked often of a dream of leaving the corporate world to
open a restaurant somewhere they could enjoy their love of the sea and sailing.
In the summer of 2004 on their Honeymoon visiting Mexico,
they checked out several possible locations on the Mainland, but were not sure
they had found the right spot for their “dream business”. They were considering the Baja, but both knew
that Los Cabos was too big and developed, and then Norma suggested a little
place she had heard about – Loreto.
After spending a few days here on that trip, they went back to Hong Kong
and their jobs, before returning again at New Years in ’05, when they saw the
numbers of Visitors and Residents here during “high season” and confirmed the
potential of this location for their planned restaurant.
Having found the location, things started to happen quickly,
they resigned from their jobs and Kieran went to Ireland for an intensive 3 month
Cooking School and then he returned to Mexico, reuniting with Norma who was
awaiting the birth of their son Patricio with her family in her home town on
the Mainland. For the next 9 months
Kieran worked with one of Norma’s relatives who owned a restaurant, getting
practical experience in running the business, during which time they purchased
the property in Loreto that would become “1697”, their restaurant named after
the year that the Jesuit Mission was founded here.
In January ’06 with their now 3 month old son and all their
worldly possessions, they drove across Mainland Mexico, crossed on the La Paz
ferry to arrive in Loreto and begin the new chapter of their lives. After
gutting and rebuilding the original house they had purchased for their restaurant,
they converted it into an interior dining room and bar with a small outside
patio area and opened for business in June of that year.
A few years later, when the town square that the restaurant
overlooked underwent a major renovation they were able to expand their outdoor
patio area and convert some of the interior space into two simple guest
bedrooms rounding out their now successful restaurant business with the
additional appeal of this “boutique” accommodation in this picturesque
location.
The opening and evolution of their business in Loreto
coincided with the timing of the Loreto Bay Community and they developed a
strong clientele from the increasing numbers of Homeowners spending time
here. As they observed the ups and downs
of the recent history of the development they sensed the growing community
spirit here and saw the beginnings of the commercial services become
established.
At the end of last season, on one of their occasional visits
here, over a coffee at El Corazon Norma had the inspiration for a simple
Mexican Cantina style restaurant that could be operated with a minimal kitchen,
supplied with partially prepared ingredients from their main kitchen in
town. With the assistance of Nellie, who
is the Broker for the rental of commercial space in the development, they found
the perfect location with room for a bar and food prep area and a few tables
indoors, and a sidewalk patio with more seating outside.
Over the past summer, they created a vibrant décor in the
small interior and finished the renovations in time for a soft opening as the
Residents began to return this past Fall.
As the population has grown over the past few months, they have
developed a steady lunchtime business and their patio often attracts afternoon
customers who can enjoy a cool drink under the patio umbrellas and watch the
world (or at least this small part of it) pass by on the Paseo.
Currently El Cardon is open for early evening dining 3 days
a week with a special featured dish in addition to the regular menu selections,
and they are considering adding a fourth evening, when the traffic justifies it.
However, Kieran feels confident that
their gamble on the future of Loreto Bay has been more than successful so far,
and he and Norma are excited about their potential for the future as a part of
our Community.
Seeing friends and
neighbors from the nearby town of Loreto contributing their talents and energy,
adding to the amenities and investing in the future of Loreto Bay, is a strong
and positive indication of the growth and synergy that will insure the future
of our beautiful home here in the Baja.
Learning another fascinating origin story from the newest addition to
our Community is another part of the picture that is “Living Loreto”!
