The former Barrel 55 building at 325 West Main Street in Brookville, where the López family will open the second Cozumel location.
BROOKVILLE, Pa. (EYT) – After 20 years of success with their Cozumel Mexican Restaurant and Cantina in Clarion, the López family is excited to be opening a second location, Cozumel Mexican Restaurant & Cantina Dos, this year in Brookville.
Their culinary journey started with Ignacio López Sr. and Maria López opening Puerto Vallarta in Heath, Ohio, in 1997. They later ran another Puerto Vallarta in Columbus, Ohio, from 1998 to 2003, and then operated a Mexican restaurant in Circleville, Ohio, from 2003 to 2005.
In 2005, Ignacio Sr. and Maria came to Clarion, where they opened Cozumel Mexican Restaurant and Cantina. The restaurant quickly became well-known for its authentic Mexican cuisine, reflecting the rich flavors of Jalisco, Mexico.
Ignacio Sr.’s brother, Jesús López, who had owned Cancun Restaurant in Youngstown, Ohio, decided to join the family in Clarion and merged with Ignacio Sr. and Maria at Cozumel. Unfortunately, Jesús passed away in 2021.
Ignacio López, a son of the founders, confirmed to exploreClarion.com that they have purchased the former Barrel 55 building at 325 West Main Street in Brookville, where they will open the second Cozumel location. The family plans to continue operating their Clarion location as well.
López noted that the menu will remain largely the same, with only minor tweaks expected.
The family has just finalized the purchase of the property and is now beginning renovations and other preparations.
“We’re working hard to open in about eight weeks, but it may take longer since we know renovations are necessary,” he added. “We want to take our time to ensure everything is done right. We don’t want to go back and fix things later.”
López explained that they will handle much of the interior work themselves, focusing on repainting the empty building, and will hire plumbers, electricians, and other professionals as needed.
“The opportunity for the restaurant arose and was available for a while, and the liquor license was also available, so we checked all the boxes,” he said.
“It’s a great location close to Clarion, which is very convenient. We can serve the Brookville community with something new, as there isn’t really anything like it in the area, so it should do well.”
“We haven’t even made the sign yet. There may be a grand opening or ‘coming soon’ sign, but the signage isn’t ready yet.”
The Cozumel logo is well established in Clarion and reflects the family’s journey, which began 36 years ago when they came to the United States with the dream of sharing their culinary traditions.
Ignacio recalls how much the restaurant changed their lives.
“Jesús and my dad (Ignacio, Sr.) had us come here to run this restaurant,” he shared. “That was in 2005, and we are still here. It changed our lives when we came.”
Today, Cozumel continues as a family affair, with Maria at the helm and her children—sons Ignacio and Cesar, and daughters Silvia and Paola—playing key roles in its operation. Marco, another of Maria’s sons, also contributed to the family business during his high school years.
Dining and Cooking