 "Photo: Jeffrey McWhorter")
There was standing room only Monday night as customers watched the NCAA basketball championship at Cuatros, the newest restaurant in West Campus.
The corner of 24th and San Gabriel streets was abuzz Monday night for the opening of Cuatros, a locally owned and operated restaurant specializing in tacos and hamburgers.
"I thought this was a prime location, and I've always wanted to work for myself and own a restaurant," said owner Louis Kowalski.
Construction on Cuatros took four to five months and cost an estimated $1 million. Cuatros sits in a prime location in West Campus and has already attracted many customers. Though much of the restaurant's business has come from students, Kowalski said it has been hosting a diverse crowd.
"When I decided to create a restaurant, I knew I wanted Cuatros to be accessible and affordable to everyone,"
Kowalski said.
A few house specialties the owner suggests are the pulled pork tacos and the breakfast burger. Kowalski, who created the varied menu, said its contents will distinguish the restaurant from others.
"I wanted to create good food that would feed the masses," Kowalski said.
Kowalski's experience in the food business includes a culinary education from the Texas Culinary Academy and a job as a manager of Chuy's Hula Hut.
"I've seen mostly students here due to it being in West Campus, and I think the food and the atmosphere are both good," said business sophomore Casey Schindler.
Some are questioning the restaurant's potential competition with Cain & Abel's Bar & Grill, another West Campus hot spot and established landmark for students since the 1970s.
"I assume it will affect our business a little bit, but we've been here forever, and we have regulars who come all the time," said Cassie Lowrie, a bartender and manager at Cain & Abel's. "It's not something that we're all that concerned about."
Both restaurants appear to be doing well, and Kowalski said he expects things to continue that way.
"I think there will be enough business and customers for us to share, especially because the population of West Campus is likely to double or triple within the next few years due to all the development," Kowalski said.
Kowalski said he hopes that Cuatros will be a successful venture that he can expand into numerous restaurants throughout Austin and Texas.
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