Agaves Mexican Grill is opening a second restaurant in Merced. What does this mean for the original restaurant?

Restaurant lovers may be wondering why they’re seeing double on the Promenade near North Merced. That’s because brother and sister Efraín and Karina Lupian have opened their second Agaves Mexican Grill.

The official opening took place on July 12. Guests enjoyed food and drinks as well as a live mariachi band.

A mariachi band performs Friday, June 12, for the grand opening of the all-new Agaves Mexican Grill.

“A lot of our customers were asking for a full bar, so we didn’t have enough space there (first location) to do one,” Karina Lupian said. “That’s why Starbucks moved and we saw an opportunity to move into that location to expand it a little bit.”

Here’s what customers can expect from the new location.

When are they open?

The restaurant hours are 10am to 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays they are open until midnight.

What are the most popular menu items?

The “Piña de Agaves” is the most popular dish on the menu, Karina Lupian explains. They take the pineapple, cut it in half and remove the inside. The pineapple is then grilled and topped with a meat of your choice, topped with salsa verde, melted cheese, avocado and served with rice and beans.

If Agaves were the best at something, Karina said, she would call it having the best fajitas.

Do they have happy hour?

Yes, from August 1st.

“We’re trying to do, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., I think, a special bucket of beer, and then we’ll also have special margaritas, cranberries and vodka, like classic drinks that they can get at a better price,” Karina said.

Do they offer any promotions?

During the week they offer specials from 10am to 2pm.

Will the original location remain open?

Yes, the original Agaves will remain open. Karina says they plan to turn it into a brunch spot where they will offer a completely different menu. They plan to include items like crepes and waffles and the new location will keep their original menu.

Do they do catering?

Yes, interested individuals can call their restaurant number at (209) 580-4662.

Efraín Lupian (blue shirt), Karina Lupian (black shirt) and Nico Torres (green shirt) on Friday, June 12 at the grand opening of Agaves.

Efraín Lupian (blue shirt), Karina Lupian (black shirt) and Nico Torres (green shirt) on Friday, June 12 at the grand opening of Agaves.

Originally from Michoacán, Mexico, Karina and her family moved to Merced when she was 13.

“I have an older sister and she started a catering business; and through her, she inspires us to open restaurants as well,” Karina said.

Before opening the first Agaves in 2017, Efrían and Karina worked at El Picosito in Gustine. Efrían was the sole owner and has now left El Picosito to his brother Salvador Lupian.

Coming from a family of 14 siblings, 10 of them currently work in the food industry. Sites managed by the Lupian siblings include:

Chentes Tacos Taco Truck in Merced

Cocina Village in Fresno

El Picosito Mexican Grill in Gustine

Mexican Party in Merced

The Frozen World of Merced

Tropical Fruits in Livingston

Zacatecana Morena Meat Market in Apple Valley

“It’s crazy sometimes that people ask me, ‘How come you don’t cook the same rice or beans?’ Because you’re all born with the same mother and everything. But I feel like everyone has their own flavor, so it’s different,” Karina said.

What makes Agaves special compared to other Mexican restaurants in Merced, Karina says, is that everything in their kitchen is prepared daily with fresh ingredients.

“We don’t keep anything in the freezer. If we don’t have anything fresh, we go and get it ourselves from the nearest place,” Karina explains.

With this new location, there are a total of 33 employees.

“I just want to thank Merced because they have been very supportive of us and like everything we do, we do it for them. And we just want to make them happy,” Karina said.

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