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The owners of Evanston’s Lucky Platter — Eric Young and Derek Gaspar — have leased the restaurant space at 700 Main St. that until this month housed the long-running Mexican dining spot Lupita’s.

Gaspar says for their second restaurant in the Chicago-Main shopping district they’re planning a new Mexican-themed venue called La Principal with the opening scheduled for early this fall.

He says the focus at La Principal — which can be translated as The Main — will be on street food with a more contemporary flair — with lots of tacos and empanadas. There’ll also be a bar, and the restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to midnight, Tuesday through Sunday.

But the most innovative part of the concept is planned for the Custer Avenue side of the building.

There, Gaspar says, they’re planning a walk-up window where morning commuters will be able to order a variety of Mexican coffee drinks and atole, a hot, corn-based beverage often made with chocolate that Gaspar says  is “almost like a full breakfast.”

They’ll also be serving churros, or Mexican donuts.

The walk-up window will be open from 7 to 10:30 a.m. Monday through Friday, and he says it will be the only place for commuters get coffee on the west side of the tracks in the Chicago-Main shopping district.

Gaspar and Young took over Lucky Platter, at 514 Main St., last year.

Bill Smith is the editor and publisher of Evanston Now.

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6 Comments

    1. Filling a need

      I agree. Looking forward to it! There is defintely a need for a place to get coffee in the morning west of the tracks and also for a bar.

    2. Good change

      Lupita's was a longstanding, albeit pricey local place to enjoy Mexican style food without having to travel south of Howard Street. Then Lupita sold it, and the new owners thought longtime dedicated customers would enjoy talking over loud blues musicians while eating their enchiladas.

      Not. 

      I'm glad they sold the business to two guys who sound like they know what they're doing. 

    1. Please, we do not need any

      Please, we do not need any parklettes. The only one that we have takes up 2 parking places in an area were parking is hard to find. It hurts the businesses in the area, it is rare to see people using the parklette, and takes income from the city.

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