Los Cocos Mexican Restaurant to open in Derby

WICHITA — Less than three years after opening his first Los Cocos Mexican Restaurant, Luis Alfaro is preparing to start work on a third, this time in Derby.

"We just got the land," Alfaro says of 1257 N. Rock, which is next to Applebee's.

"It's the first one that we're going to build from scratch."

Alfaro is planning a 180-seat restaurant with a 30-seat patio.

He had planned to open a Derby restaurant after opening in Wichita at 1335 N. Tyler in the former Brews Brothers and Mom's space.

Instead, Alfaro says Manhattan was his next choice because of good opportunities there.

He hopes to have the Derby Los Cocos open by early November.

Alfaro is already scouting land on the east side for his fourth restaurant.

That could be in east Wichita or Andover.

His plan is open a restaurant a year.

"We've just got to go one by one."

This story was originally published May 24, 2010 at 1:45 PM with the headline "Los Cocos Mexican Restaurant to open in Derby."