BUDA, Texas — A once popular Central Texas restaurant will soon be under new ownership in Hays County.
Valentina's Tex Mex BBQ, located in Buda, temporarily closed its doors last month after co-owner couple Miguel and Modesty Vidal made an announcement on social media.
"We've been at this for a long time, and we work really hard, but this last year has been harder than ever," the post stated in part.
Last month, the Vidals received a notice on the restaurant's front door stating a landlord would be taking over the property because of unpaid rent. According to the message, the pair reportedly failed to make a payment of more than $91,000 after first being notified in October 2023.
The Austin Business Journal (ABJ) has determined the restaurant owes at least $2.3 million to various individuals and organizations: more than $20,000 to a contractor, $285,000 to Buda and more than $47,000 for Texas taxes, plus additional fees to others.
That isn't all. According to the ABJ, previous employees have stated concerns, including lack of payment, cash payments instead of checks and an intense work environment back when Valentina's was based out of a food truck in South Austin.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division confirmed to KVUE that it has an open and ongoing investigation into Valentina's.
According to the Vidals' social media post, the restaurant was set to reopen on May 9, but it was still closed at the time this article was published.
Now, Austin CEO Johann Moonesinghe is looking to purchase the spot with his company, InKind, which focuses on financing restaurants across the U.S. Moonesinge said Valentina's allegedly owes him more than $1 million.
Although its doors remain closed for now, the 6,000-square-foot restaurant could soon serve customers once again.
