Opening News
Gloria's Latin Cuisine to bring the margaritas and pupusas to Plano
A venerable Dallas-based Latin restaurant chain is expanding north: Gloria's Latin Cuisine, the pioneering Salvadoran and Tex-Mex concept, will open a location in Plano, on the southwest corner of Preston Road and SH-121.
According to a release, it'll open in 2025.
It'll be a newly constructed location, representing Gloria’s fourth stand-alone restaurant, and will replace the current Frisco location on Gaylord Parkway. A representative says that moving to Plano gives the company a chance to be in its own space rather than being a tenant as they are in Frisco. However, Frisco will remain open until the very last day before Plano opens.
Gloria’s Latin Cuisine was founded in 1986 by Gloria and Jose Fuentes, born out of the traditions of El Salvador, with their original location in Oak Cliff on West Davis Street before relocating to a former firehouse they renovated in 2011.
They currently have 23 locations across Texas including Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, Houston, and San Antonio — all of the cities where CultureMap also has bureaus. Smart!
They're famous for their black bean dip, pupusas, and margaritas, plus signature dishes like Platano Frito, consisting of fried plantains served with black beans; and Mariscada, their seafood soup with shrimp, scallops, red snapper, mussels, lobster tail and vegetables.
Over the years, they've added some Tex-Mex for diversity on the menu, which the release kindly says "skirts the line between tradition and innovation," when what it should say is that some customers see "Latin" and ask for Tex Mex.
The new location will be 9,200 square feet and have a design that incorporates expansive use of natural light, custom ceramics, and Salvadoran-inspired art. The restaurant will include a big outdoor patio dining space, and an upscale bar with a large scale tequila display.
“We’re excited to bring a modern dining experience to our guests in the Plano and Frisco areas," says owner Gloria Fuentes in a statement. “We look forward to debuting our restaurant design that has unexpected use of art forms and color making the space feel serene and welcoming. We can’t wait to share this new experience with our guests.”