Chapala’s Mexican Restaurant prepares to close in east Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The walls inside Chapala’s Mexican Restaurant on the east side of the Las Vegas valley hold more than sombreros and colorful paintings.

They hold decades of memories shared by generations of customers, employees and one family that built a legacy from the ground up.

Now, after serving the community for more than 30 years, the Flores family is preparing to close the restaurant on East Tropicana Avenue as siblings Jose Flores and his family get ready for retirement.

WATCH | East Las Vegas reporter Adriana Gonzalez-Chavez talked with Flores and customers about the upcoming closure:

Chapala’s Mexican Restaurant prepares to close in east Las Vegas after more than 30 years

“When you go to some restaurants, you just eat, you leave and life goes on,” said Jose Flores, owner of Chapala’s Mexican Restaurant. “But most of these customers we know — we know their whole life. Most of their kids were raised here as babies.”

For Jose, saying goodbye means closing a chapter that began long before Chapala’s became a staple in east Las Vegas.

His parents migrated from Mexico in the 1960s, unsure of how they would make a living in Southern Nevada.

“There on Vermont Street back in 1965,” Flores recalled. “My mom and dad, they didn’t know what they were going to do.”

After considering several business ideas, including a laundromat and even a trash pick-up company, the family eventually found their future in food service.

“Somehow they held it together,” Flores said. “Little by little, she goes, ‘Oh yeah, one day we’d make $30, one day we’d make nothing,’ and after a while it started picking up.”

At the time, Mexican restaurants were rare in Las Vegas. Flores said Chapala’s was among the first.

“Out here in Vegas, we were probably one of the first top three or four restaurants in Las Vegas — and probably still one of the ones that are around,” he said.

Over the decades, customers who first supported Jose’s parents continued returning, even after his parents passed away. Many said Chapala’s became more than just a restaurant.

“I love this place,” one customer shared. “It’s a place where you can come, and my brothers and sisters welcomed me.”

For longtime customer Mary Ann Thomson, the restaurant became part of family milestones and celebrations.

“Just bringing our family and our grandkids for all different kinds of occasions over the years and our lives that are celebrated here,” Thomson said.

As the restaurant prepares to close its doors in November, customers said it is not just the food they will miss — it is the sense of community.

For Jose Flores, the support from customers over the years is what stands out most.

“It makes you want to cry, man,” Flores said. “They’re just good people. They’re going to remember us for a while.”

Customers who want one last meal at Chapala’s Mexican Restaurant are encouraged to visit before the end of November.

Have a question? Reach out to Adriana Gonzalez-Chavez!

Submit your question or news tip for Channel 13 East Las Vegas reporter Adriana Gonzalez-Chavez.