ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – A historic Abilene restaurant is reopening under new ownership.

El Fenix, located in Burrow Alley off S 1st Street, is set to reopen by the end of the month.

“Our goal is to have a soft opening in late October with a full opening in mid-November,” the new owners reveal on Facebook.

The restaurant closed in December 2020 after serving authentic Mexican cuisine in Abilene for more than 80 years.

Family members of the original owners could no longer keep the restaurant going, but they decided to sell the building along with the restaurant recipes in 2022.

Construction is currently underway ahead of the reopening. Upgrades will include a full service bar and themed areas such as the flower room, sombrero room, and donkey room.

Job interviews are also being conducted on site at the following times: October 7 (1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.), October 10-13 (9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.).

Once the restaurant is officially open, their hours will be 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Sunday.