Mexican food fanatics may have a new place to flock to with the sale of the old Shoney’s building on University Street.

The building was sold to the Los Portales group, which owns a restaurant in Union City, as well as in other cities in West Tennessee, for $365,000. The group is based in Dyersburg.

Century 21 Overton Real Estate broker/owner Tim Moore said the group plans to fully renovate the building and open a restaurant in the near future, “We’re very pleased to let everyone know that the Lost Portales group has bought that property and will soon be opening another restaurant,” Moore said. “It will be good to see something going on in that location.”

A spokeswoman from the group said it plans to open a Los Portales restaurant sometime in 2003. The opening would be sooner, but the inside of the building will have to be totally redone.

“We are pleased with the location and look forward to opening up soon,” said Olga Camarena, a member of the Lost Portales group.

The building was bought from Richard Lynch and Mickey Moore, who still own about five acres near the building.

This is the second sale to be made in recent months in that area. The former University Lodge, next door to the old Shoney’s building, will become a Days Inn. The hotel was recently sold by Moore’s firm, which has also been responsible for several other real estate deals nearby.

This story was reprinted with permission from the Weakley County Press.