By Teresa Herriman, The Courier-Herald

The Mazatlan Restaurant in Bonney Lake is moving, but it isn't going far. Joel Morales, co-owner of the popular Mexican food eatery, said he is working with architects Merritt and Pardini, of Tacoma, to build a larger restaurant on land the Mazatlan Corporation owns just east of the present site.

Morales owns the restaurant with his uncle and founder of the Mazatlan chain, Andreas Cardenas. The Mazatlan is located just off state Route 410 at 9902 219th Ave. E. The restaurant will move to 21616 state Route 410.

The new building will be 10,000 square feet - twice as big as the current building - and seat approximately 300 people. According to Jim Dugan, senior project manager for Merritt and Pardini, the new facility is intended to be a flagship store for the Mazatlan chain, with a new elegant Mexican-theme design. Dugan said Cardenas intends to incorporate products such as floor tile from Mexico and authentic wood entry doors. "He wants to emulate a very real, elegant, themed experience in addition to food that is hands down the best," he said. There are 13 Mazatlan restaurants in western Washington.

Morales said that their goal is to create, "one of the finest Mexican restaurants; a beautiful place and the food will be the best." The restaurant will continue to provide the quality food and service, promises Morales. The restaurant will remain a family-style environment and prices are expected to stay in the family-style range. Dinners can expect the menu will stay the same, with some new dishes added.

Morales said that the reason for building the new restaurant is to provide a larger dinning room for faster service. "Bonney Lake deserves a bigger, better place," he said. Morales came to the U.S. from Mexico in 1985, starting as a dishwasher in his uncle's restaurant. Since then he has been a chef, waiter, manager, and now, part owner.

When the new restaurant opens, Morales said they will hire 10 to 15 more employes. The restaurant currently employes 30. In addition to serving lunch and dinner, the new Mazatlan will offer Sunday brunch.

Morales expects the new facility to be just as popular as the current location. When the Mazatlan opened in June of 1998, "we were busy as soon as we opened," he said. At that time, the restaurant had a Buckley address. Since then, Bonney Lake has annexed the area along state Route 410 that includes the restaurant.

"Mazatlan has expressed to us they want to open in 2004, probably the summer or fall," Dugan said. "With a six-month construction schedule, that gives it a late winter-early spring start on site."

Teresa Herriman can be reached at therriman@courierherald.com