Vallarta de Noche - Freeport

By Joyce Owen

FREEPORT ? Hector and Manuel Alvarez looked around their community and noticed there was something missing ? a place where families could gather for an affordable meal while listening to good music.
Hector had been in the restaurant business for several years and knew he could bring that kind of restaurant to Freeport.
The young man had learned many of the skills he needed to create a thriving restaurant from his fatherin-law, Pedro Alvarez, Sr., owner of Don Pedros restaurant in Santa Rosa Beach.
Together Hector and his brotherin-law, Manuel Alvarez, designed Vallarta de Noche Bar and Grill. The restaurant is located at the Olde Towne Village in Freeport and has seating for 150. The stylish Mexican restaurant aims to offer good food at reasonable prices. The upscale ambiance includes a gently splashing water wall and live music. On Friday nights, a Mariachi band strolls through the dining room entertaining customers. Plans are being made to have other musicians perform throughout the week.
Building a large restaurant was important for Hector who wanted to accommodate large groups.
Although several new restaurants have opened in Freeport, few have the capacity available at Vallarta de Noche.
?I can do a line of tables beside the water wall and seat 20 ? 25 people,? he said.
The Alvarez family opened the restaurant on Sept. 5, just as the tourist season ended. There?s also the construction on U. S. Highway 331 that will bypass Freeport. Although he plans to put up signs where the old highway veers away from the city, Hector doesn?t look to tourists as the bulk of his business.
?Our customers are local, working people,? he said. ?It?s a place where you can come here with your family. It looks expensive, but it?s not.?
The Alvarez family started the project last December. After they got the approvals, it took another six months to complete the construction and outfit the restaurant.
Hector and Manuel wanted Vallarta de Noche to have a fancier, upscale feel not always associated with Mexican restaurants. Hector said it would take at least two years to recover the expense of opening the restaurant, but he is determined that they will be successful. The family is already considering opening another restaurant in Destin.
?I work hard. If a waiter or cook calls in sick, I can work in the kitchen or bus tables. I can tend bar,? he said.
?I do all the paperwork, but I like it. I?m happy. I?m working for myself,? he said.