Bored after injury interrupts his golf obsession, retiree buys popular Wichita restaurant
Ruben Acosta is in his final days at Ruben’s Mexican Grill, the restaurant he founded nearly 28 years ago. His last day in the restaurant, 915 W. Douglas, will be April 25.
After that, the Delano Mexican restaurant will close until its new owner takes it over and reopens it on May 1.
That new owner — Tony Madrigal — recently explained his plans for Ruben’s and talked about the reasons he decided to buy it. But what he really wants Ruben’s fans to know that they shouldn’t notice a difference, even when Ruben leaves. Madrigal is keeping Ruben’s manager, his waitresses and his cooks, one of whom has been in Ruben’s kitchen for a decade.
“I reassured the cooks awhile ago that, ‘Hey, you have nothing to worry about. I need you,’” Madrigal said.
Madrigal previously owned a restaurant called La Familia, which operated in the early 2000s at 945 W. 31st St. South. There’s now a liquor store in the building.
When he had La Familia, he said, his late wife was suffering from cancer, and he was taking her out of state for treatments. He wasn’t able to give the restaurant the attention it deserved, and it closed.
Madrigal also owned an insurance business called Madrigal & Associates, but he sold it in 2019. After that, he spent most of his time golfing, he said. But two years ago, he tore his left shoulder, and he can no longer play. He’s found himself doing too much sitting around.
“I’ve been kind of bored, and I need something to do,” he said.
Initially, he planned to open a new restaurant. But Acosta, who Madrigal had known for some time, would always half-jokingly ask Madrigal when he was going to buy Ruben’s. Eventually, Madrigal decided that would be the better gamble.
“If you’re starting from scratch, it’s going to be three or four years before you develop clients,” Madrigal said. “Why do that when there’s one already established and everything is there for you?”
It was important to Acosta that a new owner protect his legacy and keep things the same, and that sounded just fine to Madrigal, he said.
The only change he plans is adding a few of his own dishes to Ruben’s menu of tacos, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas and fajitas.
“I want consistency,” he said. “I want the food to stay the same.”
Madrigal said he will run the restaurant with the help of his son, Jesse, plus his wife, his daughter and one of his grandsons.
Ruben’s will be closed during the transition, which will last from April 26-30. Madrigal said customers can return to the restaurant on Thursday, May 1.
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