Brand name change coming to Plaza Morena

A name change is coming to Owatonna’s Plaza Morena restaurant, although it will mean no change in the management or major changes to the menu.

Plaza Morena owner Jose Herrerra announced in February that the restaurant’s brand name would be changing from Plaza Morena Campestre Grill to Casa Morena Cocina.

Morena, said Jose’s son Jeremy, is Jose’s nickname. Casa means house and cocina is kitchen. They are also producing their own coffee brand in Columbia, Casa Morena Café and they are expecting to sell the brand in the restaurant to take home, Morena said. They hope the coffee will be available in Owatonna in May.

Despite the name change, Herrera said, it will be the same staff, with the same menu along with new food additions.

Plaza Morena, he said, is a family business with Jose, his wife, Maria Martinez, daughter Lucero and sons, Jeremy, and Xavier, who also is a DJ, helping out. Jeremy said he is taking on many of the management duties.

Jose is from Jalisco, Mexico, his son said. Jose’s father died when 10 or 12 and he became the head of the household. He has been working in food service and making tacos since he was about 14.

Moving to the United States, the family first settled in Michigan where Jose owned a restaurant in Detroit. They relocated to Minnesota in 2002 and opened Plaza Morena in the south end of Owatonna in 2003.

The business thrived and when a larger space was needed Jose settled on the current location on 26^th Street.

Jeremy said the restaurant serves authentic dishes but added Texas was once part of Mexico, so Tex Mex is also authentic although more varied.

Jeremy said he started washing dishes at Plaza Morena when he was 10 years old. Both Lucera and Xavier still help out at the restaurant and his mother Maria also does some bartending. Another brother, Fabian, was also working at the restaurant when he died in a car accident in 2012.

Herrera said the “customers are great” and they take pride in serving good food. He said if he would not eat it “why would I serve it.”

Even with all the Mexican and Tex-Mex food, he said that one of their most popular dishes is the burger, specifically the ”Jose’s burger.” Burgers, he added, are featured every Wednesday.

And since it is March, he said, there are some St. Patrick’s Month specials, including a Shamrock Margarita and Lucky Charm Cocktail.