The Mexican-owned and led restaurant previously named Hacienda Jalisco has changed management and rebranded as Blue Agave. Under the management, the restaurant is offering a more fresh and homemade experience.
The business, located at 2030 Ken Pratt Blvd., was the second of two locations with roots that started in Firestone in 2011, according to Owner Alejandro Lepe.
Lepe worked with a partner for over a decade before deciding to go their separate ways shortly after the Longmont location opened in 2018.
"Now, after the pandemic, it seemed like a good time to change the name and start again from scratch, and really make a difference with Blue Agave," he said, adding the name on the building and its menu changed just over three weeks ago.
“We are from Jalisco and the most popular plant in Jalisco is the agave, with which tequila is made. The old name was very long and customers had a hard time saying it all together,” he said. "At the same time, we wanted to bring the culture of both languages together, using the word ‘blue’ in English and ‘agave’ in Spanish."
Lepe and his family have lived in Longmont since 2007. He, his wife, Ana Curiel, and his brother and chef, Juan Lepe, joined the management team and brought big changes to the overall culinary experience, he said.
"We are adapting the menu, knowing that there are a lot of Latinos here, and at the same time we want to attract the attention of American patrons ... and that is why we are adapting the menu to more cultures depending on what it is they are looking for," he said.
Curiel said she is most excited about making the business a family endeavor, coming into it with her husband as well as their children.
"I am very excited because we are putting our hearts into it and we have a very strong desire to push this business forward with the new name, for it to rise up and resurface," she said, adding she wants to provide a more authentic experience for visiting patrons.
“We are adding tortillas made right here — in the restaurant — and we hope that will catch people’s attention and they will come to try them. There is also the birria, which is a very traditional dish in Jalisco, and the torta ahogada, or salsa-drowned sandwiches, with a sauce that I have been doing at home with my mom since I was a child,” Curiel said. "They are recipes that I have been making and bringing from home and many people like them here."
Other offerings under the new menu include aguas frescas made with hibiscus flower and tamarind, tongue tacos, lamb legs and oysters.
Curiel said all food is prepared fresh daily to ensure a good taste and high quality. "We want people to see the difference between ours and other restaurants, that here things are homemade and fresher."
On May 15, Lepe and Curiel will host a grand opening celebration at Blue Agave to celebrate the start of the new chapter for the business and the family, Lepe said.
From 2 - 4 pm, patrons are invited to witness the ribbon-cutting and partake in an open taco bar. The event is in partnership with the Latino Chamber of Boulder County and will feature a local folkloric dance group, he said.
