News : Mexican restaurant coming to town: La Reyna has target opening date of April 1

This will be the dining room of the LeReyna Mexican restaurant on 4th St., near the Vinton Palace.

Rich Hainstock tried and failed eight times to bring a Mexican restaurant to the old cafe building he bought in downtown Vinton. The ninth time, he found success.

After contacting eight owners of successful Mexican restaurants in Iowa to see if they would be interested in opening a Mexican restaurant in Vinton -- and after making appointments with some of them -- Hainstock finally found a couple who is interested in coming to Vinton.

Carmen & Carlos Legaspi, the owners of the La Reyna restaurant on Keokuk Street in Iowa City, plan to open a new restaurant of the same name in Vinton around April 1. The dining room will be off of 4th Street, near the Vinton Palace, while the kitchen area will be the area that was previously known as Lori's Cafe. La Reyna means "The Queen," in Spanish, says Hainstock.

Hainstock recently purchased tables, chairs and booths from an auction of another restaurant; those will soon be set up. Keith Bonar, who has done work for Hainstock at his other properties, was working there Friday.

Hainstock said the target date for opening La Reyna is April 1, but that date is flexible.