Upscale Mexican restaurant in Johnson County closes. ‘Tough dining economy’
.jpg "Shrimp and grits, enchiladas and duck sopes were on the menu at LaPez.")
A Johnson County Mexican-style restaurant that had been open for less than a year is now closed.
LaPez Mod Mex closed a few weeks ago at 11563 Ash St., said owner Adam Tilford. The Park Place restaurant opened in September as a replacement for his other restaurant, Session Taco.
Session, a more casual concept, was open at that space for less than two years.
As for LaPez, Tilford said he was proud of the offerings at the spot but couldn’t get the customers he needed to sustain the business. He believes inflation, rising gas prices and other economic strains on the consumer are responsible.
“There’s not as much disposable income for dining out,” he told The Star.
As a result, customers are less willing to try new restaurants, which makes it harder for new concepts to get off the ground, Tilford said. Rather than pivoting the space again, Tilford said his restaurant group is exiting entirely.
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LaPez offered upscale, modern Mexican food as part of a full-service dining experience.
Options included duck sopes (mashed red beans, tamarind ancho sauce, cotija cheese, duck carnitas, hibiscus pickled onion, micro cilantro and blue corn masa cake for $17) and chicken enchiladas (roasted chicken, chihuahua cheese, charred tomato sauce and crema for $18).
Tilford and his brother, Adam, still have three Session Taco locations: two in St. Louis and one in Kansas City’s East Crossroads at 409 E. 18th St.
The company, formerly Mission Taco Joint, was forced to rebrand in 2024 after being sued for trademark infringement by Gruma Corporation, the parent company of the tortilla maker Mission Foods.
Tilford encouraged customers to continue to dine at their favorite restaurants before they disappear.
“It’s a tough dining economy,” he said. “Just get out there and support your local restaurants.”
Park Place, meanwhile, has seen a few closures in the past several months. Aixois Sud closed last fall, and Mother Clucker closed in December.
Panache Chocolatier closed in the shopping center just days ago.