Trading sweet for spicy

Where succulent sweets once reigned, spices and salt will take over. Salsa’s Mexican Caribbean Restaurant, a downtown Latin food stronghold for the last 18 years, will take over the space formerly occupied by the Sisters McMullen Cupcake Corner, which closed on Aug. 12.

Hector Diaz, founder and owner of Salsa’s (also of Modesto and Chorizo, the Italian and Latin restaurants, respectively), will occupy the building beginning Sept. 1, and he plans to open a companion bar to Salsa’s on Oct. 1.

“There’s always a lot of people waiting at Salsa’s outside, so what we’re going to do with the corner is we’re going to make that a bar for Salsa’s, a beautiful bar that all has to do with the same things we’re doing now,” he says.

But his plans don’t stop there. He will continue to refine his concept at the corner until early next spring, when he says he will launch a unique — but for now secret — venture.

“It’s a pioneer concept to Asheville and the United States,” he explains. “No matter what we do there, it’s going to be a concept where you take and you go. It’s going to be a quick thing.”

A Salsa’s expansion has been rumored for some time because waiting patrons for the Patton Avenue restaurant often overflow onto the sidewalk. More than a year ago, Diaz purchased the property at 23 Broadway St., but said in a January 2011 Xpress story that the property was an “investment.” The commercial space at that address remains vacant.

Sisters McMullen bakery will consolidate its efforts at its 840 Merrimon Ave. location, according to a sign posted on the now-closed downtown spot.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.