For Javier Cisneros, opening Azul Cantina & Grill in Owensboro represents the fulfillment of a dream that began years ago in a small town in Mexico.
The new restaurant recently opened at 2065 E. Parrish Ave., becoming Cisneros’ second venture in the restaurant industry after the success of Maria’s Mexican Grill in Mount Vernon, Indiana.
“This is my second restaurant,” Cisneros said. “The small town I’m from in Mexico has a lot of restaurant owners. When I was a kid, I grew up around that, and that’s where the idea of owning a restaurant first came from.”
Cisneros spent his early years in Mexico before moving to the United States as a teenager. While attending school, he worked in restaurants and quickly developed a passion for the industry.
“I started working in restaurants when I was young and never left the business,” he said. “I pretty much did everything in the restaurant industry.”
At age 25, he opened Maria’s Mexican Grill in Mount Vernon. The restaurant has been operating for about three years and, according to Cisneros, has been embraced by the community.
With his first restaurant established, he began looking for opportunities to expand.
“I was working hard and driving all over looking for opportunities,” he said. “When I saw this opportunity in Owensboro, I knew I had to take the risk.”
That search ultimately led him to Owensboro, where he saw both a growing community and a chance to introduce a new restaurant concept.
The restaurant’s name carries special significance.
Cisneros said he first became attached to the name years before he ever owned a restaurant.
“When I was younger, probably 19 or 20, I saw a restaurant named Azul and fell in love with the name,” he said. “I told myself that one day, if I owned a restaurant, I would call it Azul.”
The word “azul” means blue in Spanish. Cisneros said the name also reflects the blue agave plant used to produce tequila, one of Mexico’s most recognizable exports.
He also saw a connection to Owensboro.
“Owensboro has a strong connection to the color blue,” he said. “I thought the name would fit here, and I was confident people would like it.”
Azul’s menu features many of the dishes customers have come to expect from Mexican restaurants, including fajitas, burritos, enchiladas, chimichangas, quesadillas and tacos. The restaurant also offers seafood dishes, steak entrees, soups, salads and house specialties.
Several customer favorites from Maria’s have made the move to Owensboro, including steak and shrimp tacos and tacos alambre, which feature steak, bacon, peppers and onions.
The restaurant also offers a full selection of margaritas, imported and domestic beers, and Mexican beer options.
While food and drinks are at the heart of the business, Cisneros said the relationships formed inside the restaurant are what matter most.
Reflecting on his experience in Mount Vernon, he said some of his favorite moments have come from watching people reconnect and create memories around a shared meal.
“Sometimes people come into the restaurant and see someone they haven’t seen in days, weeks or even years,” Cisneros said.
He hopes Azul can become that type of gathering place in Owensboro as well.
“I told my wife, ‘Can you imagine how many people, how many friends and how many good memories we’re going to make over here?’” Cisneros said. “Hopefully we can bring that to Owensboro.”
The opening of Azul comes during what Cisneros described as an especially meaningful year for his family. In addition to launching the new restaurant, he and his wife are expecting their first child.
“God has been good to us,” he said.
As he settles into the Owensboro community, Cisneros said his goal is simple: provide a welcoming atmosphere, serve quality food and build lasting relationships with customers.
“I’m not here to take somebody’s job,” he said. “I’m here to make my dream come true. Hopefully we can all make it together.”
