Paso Robles Mexican restaurant closes after more than 30 years. What’s next for the spot?
After more than three decades, beloved Mexican restaurant Señor Sanchos has closed its doors permanently in Paso Robles.
Restaurant owner Carlos Leyva told the Tribune he came to the difficult decision to close due to his declining health.
“I haven’t been able to be there in the last year, and when the cat’s away, the mice will play, and it just wasn’t working,” Leyva said. “It needed me to be there like all the other years. I was the face to Señor Sanchos.”
The closure of Señor Sanchos also gives Leyva, who is a singer and songwriter, time to focus on his music career. The restaurant owner also has a home in Nashville and has performed throughout the city.
On Sept. 27, the restaurant hosted its final Taco Tuesday, where Leyva said a tearful goodbye to his longtime Señor Sanchos customers.
“It really was a second home to many people, and it was a second home to me as well, so I will miss my customers,” he said.
Paso Robles Mexican restaurant opened with very little
In 1989, “we opened up with a nickel and a prayer,” Señor Sanchos owner Carlos Leyva told the Tribune.
“We sat at a booth right before opening,” Leyva said. “We said a prayer and opened up, and people came in. And we just grew and grew and grew.”
Before long, the restaurant secured a liquor license, and the popularity of the restaurant increased, continuing until its closure.
Leyva recalled standing at the front of the restaurant and writing the names of customers waiting for tables on a yellow notepad.
“We had so much fun,” he said. “The place was packed every night.”
The popularity of Señor Sanchos showed Leyva that his gamble paid off.
Leyva was 28 years old when he opened the restaurant. He sold his couches, his motorcycle and took out small loans from friends in order to open it.
“We opened up with very little,” Leyva said.
He recalled recording cassette tapes of Mexican music from his mother’s albums to bring authenticity to the restaurant.
“It’s so funny looking back now, because every 30 minutes we had to turn it over and put a new cassette in,” he said. “Now all that information and music can be placed on the size of your thumb tip.”
The restaurant lit up with neon lights and featured a fish tank and art from Mexico. About 15 televisions were mounted throughout the restaurant, and customers loved sinking into the round emerald booths with a cocktail.
The restaurant was known for its margaritas, enchiladas and other Mexican favorites, Leyva said.
“When people ask about the menu — what’s the best? — I tell them if it wasn’t the best, it wouldn’t be on the menu,” Leyva said. “It depends what you’re in the mood for.”
Señor Sanchos owner said he tried to give back to Paso Robles community
Leyva said one of his key focuses as the owner of Señor Sanchos was to give back to the local community.
One way he did that was by giving local teenagers their first job.
Many of those former employees are all grown up now, and they came to say their farewells to Leyva and Señor Sanchos on the restaurant’s final Taco Tuesday.
“Now they’re business owners. They’re managing places. They’ve been very successful in life,” Leyva said. “They’ve all thanked me for giving them the opportunity to learn management styles like what I taught them, because it was a tight ship.”
The restaurant also supported a lot of community initiatives such as youth sports, the San Miguel Mission and the bronze statute that sits in front of the Paso Robles Police and Public Works station.
Leyva said he felt it was his duty to take care of his customers. In his garage, he has an estimated 250 plaques honoring Señor Sanchos’ contributions to the North County community.
Leyva said he never hung the plaques in the restaurant because that’s not why he contributed to these programs.
“Giving is a part of life,” Leyva said. “I give not to get — I give from my heart.”
What’s next for the Creston Road property?
Although Señor Sanchos has closed, the property at 1902 Creston Road will live on as a restaurant.
Eric Peterson with the North County Restaurant Group confirmed in an email that the group plans to purchase the property, which is currently in escrow.
Peterson said he plans to open a Paso Robles-based Jack’s Bar and Grill at the Creston Road property. The restaurant group currently operates a Jack’s Bar and Grill in Templeton.
Depending on how things go, the second Jack’s location could open in two to eight months, Peterson said.
Leyva said community members can reach him by email at ccol1@mac.com.
This story was originally published October 6, 2022 at 5:30 AM.
