KC Mexican restaurant is closing after 47 years. ‘It’s very bittersweet’
Maria Medina Chaurand hears it often inside her restaurant.
Customers will sip spoonfuls of menudo, or scarf down steaming fajitas, and proclaim: “This reminds me of the food my mother used to make.”
The cumulative weight of those statements make closing the La Fonda El Taquito all the more difficult — it’s a nostalgic space for some, and a decades-long routine for many others.
After serving authentic Mexican dishes for nearly half a century, La Fonda at 800 Southwest Blvd. will close Jan. 31.
Maria and her sister, Sandy Medina, have decided to retire.
La Fonda’s announcement on Facebook includes a video of Maria standing in front of the restaurant’s bright blue bricks.
“We want to thank all of you for all your patronage, for all the years, all the love, all the support,” Maria says in the clip. “It’s very bittersweet for Sandy and I, but after 47 years, I think it’s OK for us to retire.”
In a phone interview with The Star on Monday, Maria’s voice cracked as she talked about moving on, though she admits it’s time. She is 75, after all.
“I know my father and mother are proud of us, because we left the business on top,” Maria said. “Everybody who came into the restaurant ended up being our friend.”
None of their children wanted to take it over — and with the long hours it requires, Maria doesn’t blame them. But she wasn’t interested in selling to a third party, either.
With just a few weeks left in food service, Maria reminisced on the meals she made for customers.
“It’s about the food, honey. The food that brings up all these good memories,” she said. “You’d be surprised what food can do to people.”
Separately, Sandy shared her own memories with The Star. Perhaps the most notable: sharing a bottle of tequila with Joe Montana about 20 or so years ago. (The former quarterback had bought into a local Coors distributorship at the time.)
“There’s so many good memories,” she said. “Met so many cool people. ... I’m very happy with how everything turned out.”
La Fonda’s origin story began decades ago: Just after Agustin “Chino” Medina perfected his tortilla recipe, he opened a small neighborhood grocery store at 26th Street and Belleview Avenue in the ‘60s, which had some food options in the back.
But Agustin’s first full-fledged restaurant debuted at 17th and Summit streets in 1978. Then, it was simply called El Taquito, and it featured a small bar with just four seats.
His wife, Teresa Garcia Medina, made her famous enchiladas. Bands played regularly, and dancing filled the dining room. Maria recalled conga lines zigzagging across El Taquito.
The space became known for its carnitas, flautas and other favorites.
In 1989, El Taquito’s building was put up for sale, and the restaurant changed addresses and names. La Fonda has lived amid several other Mexican restaurants on Southwest Boulevard since.
Agustin eventually passed the baton to his children, Sandy and Maria, who had been involved since the spot’s early days. Their brother, Cris Medina, is also an owner but has shifted his focus from the restaurant to his tortilla business.
“You’d see generations of families that would come back,” Cris said. “The friendship, the food, ... We’re gonna miss that a lot.”
Cris’ tortilla business, El Taquito Tortilleria, will still operate at 640 Reynolds Ave. in Kansas City, Kansas.
La Fonda’s loyal following includes former Star staffer Lisa Lopez, who wrote a Let’s Dish column on the space. She said it rivaled her own Mexican mother’s cooking.
“Everybody that came in we would hug,” Maria said. “Everybody knows us … Can’t get better than that.”
The sisters’ retirement news was received with both sadness and well wishes online.
“Your mom and dad would be so proud of how you carried their dream,” one user wrote under the Facebook announcement. “Maria and Sandy we have nothing but respect and gratitude for your hard tireless dedication to your family. Enjoy your retirement (papas con chorizo)Sandy.”
“Maria, I’ve been there since the beginning, and this really hurts. There is no other place I placed above La Fonda for the best Mexican food in Kansas City,” another wrote.
This story was originally published January 5, 2026 at 4:00 PM.