Local Mexican restaurant quickly expanding

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The owner of Casa Bella has opened two restaurants in three years, and he says he’s not done yet.

“It’s been great since day one, since the day we opened,” said owner Sergio Ruíz. “It was just overwhelming how supportive the people in this side of town was.”

Ruíz owns both Casa Bella locations in Springfield.

“When you think about Mexican food it is not just all about tacos and enchiladas,” Ruíz said.

He told OzarksFirst his love for the service industry began when he started working for his brother’s restaurant in Ozark.

“That was about 15 years ago,” Ruíz said. “I started there, and I just knew that that’s what I wanted to do.”

Ruíz has lived in Springfield for the last 10 years.

“Of course, we will like to expand more,” Ruíz said. “But right now we would like to just focus on these three locations at the moment.”

The first Casa Bella location opened Dec. 2021 on South Campbell Avenue.

“We knew that that area of town needed another good Mexican restaurant, so we just went for it,” Ruíz said. “And it’s been great so far.”

The second location opened on Battlefield Road a year after the first.

Ruíz told OzarksFirst he doesn’t see the other Mexican restaurants in town as a competition, but rather a community.

“There’s a good amount of Hispanic people here and, you know, just might as well just gather a little bit, do events where everybody can actually have a little taste of the Latin culture and food and experiences,” Ruíz said.

The third restaurant is opening in October 2024 in Ozark. Ruíz says it will have a different name but with familiar dishes and a similar atmosphere.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOLR - OzarksFirst.com.