- What Dallas Tex-Mex restaurant is on the verge of collapse?
Yow. Zah. Looks like the pendulum of justice has swung to the other side of the Avila family. Last week when I spoke with Ricky/Ricardo Avila and his fiancée, Michelle, Ricky told me his 88-year old mother was suffering from the onset of dementia. He claimed that he and Michelle were the primary care takers of Mrs. Avila, the founder of the Avila’s Mexican Restaurant on Maple Avenue. “It’s sad that other members of my family do not even visit her,” he said. Ricky/Ricardo explained that he owned the restaurant business and his mother owned the building. “She’s just not sure what is going on most of the time,” he said.
The whole Avila family appeared before Judge Ken Molberg on Tuesday, February 9. “It took him ten minutes to realize I owned the business,” said Ricky. As I reported from the restaurant, Ricky/Ricardo and Peter Tarantino were running the restaurant.
Yesterday morning, I received an e-mail from blogger Texaskatey reporting there was a sign on the door saying the restaurant was closed along with a link to the restaurant’s website announcing Avila’s was moving to another location. Apparently, the previous night, Ricky/Ricardo Avila and company gutted the interior of the restaurant.
A little later, an e-mail from Patricia Avila Guajardo, who I can only assume is one of Ricky/Ricardo’s sisters, hit my inbox. The note, printed below the jump was addressed to Kim Pierce of the DMN and cc’d to me. She claims Avila’s Mexican Restaurant on Maple will “begin operating as soon as possible.”
I agree with Patricia on one point—this whole soap opera is “out of control.” From where I sit, it looks like everyone is guilty. Why Ricky/Ricardo and company did not wait for scheduled legal proceedings to take place is astonishing. Late yesterday, DMN’s Karen Robinson-Jacobs reported the judge ordered Ricky/Ricardo to “‘restore all property and tangible things taken or removed from’ the restaurant within 24 hours of Thursday’s order.” Hmm. Stay tuned.
UPDATE: Wilonsky has the legal documents online.
Jump for Patricia’s side of the story.
Dear Kim,
Unfortunately, within the past year outside influences with self serving agendas have caused a situation to spiral out of control at my Mother’s restaurant. The culmination resulting in naming my 88 year old Mother a Defendant. Our family has owned and operated for over 25 years without any of the discord that you are currently witnessing. The erroneous filled blogs, which began in the Avila’s bathroom, are disturbingly false.
Over the past year my mother, the owner, has been kept out. It went beyond keeping her out, but I don’t want to elaborate on those details. A horrific campaign was waged against the Avila family that was not based on facts. We trust that the justice system will deal with the accusors accordingly. Remember, on Nancy’s blog, they claimed that Ricardo would be declared owner in a hearing today?
Blogs are forums in which parties can make false accusations. Until now, that they’ve prematurely closed my Mother’s restaurant, I chose not respond. They’ve gone seriously out of control. Again, justice will prevail.
Avila’s at 4714 Maple will begin operating as soon as possible. Although Ricardo has gutted the place during the middle of the night, this situation will be rectified very soon.
Sincerely,
Patricia Avila Guajardo
