LOGAN SQUARE — The owner of the hugely popular taco and burrito joint L’Patron appears to be opening a carnitas restaurant down the street.
Cesar David Gonzalez, co-owner of L’Patron, applied for a business license Friday to open a restaurant called Gabriela’s Carnitas at 3721 W. Fullerton Ave.
Not much is known about the new restaurant aside from what’s listed on the business license application. Attempts to reach Gonzalez were unsuccessful Wednesday.
According to the application, the restaurant will be a 2,000-square-foot dine-in and carryout spot with no liquor service.
Isaac Reichman, spokesman for the city’s Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, said the license is pending a health inspection.
Since opening in 2012, L’Patron has become a neighborhood staple. The unassuming Mexican restaurant, known for its tacos, tortas and burritos, started out at 2815 W. Diversey Ave. and in 2016 moved to its current location at 3749 W. Fullerton Ave.
Gonzalez and his brother Ernesto, the restaurant’s co-owner, initially set out to run two locations but ended up closing the original location due to a rent spike.
L’Patron’s burritos consistently rank among the country’s best.
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