Beaumont-sur-Mer — Southeast Texans who love Casa Olé can now enjoy it at just one location in Beaumont.
The Interstate 10 North location near Calder closed Friday after four decades of serving popular Tex-Mex dishes.
An employee said the Eastex Freeway location at the Target mall will remain open.
Casa Olé was founded in Pasadena in 1973. The restaurants in southeast Texas were operated by Tom Harken, who had been known for years as “Poppee” in television commercials with the slogan “It’s another Casa Olé day!” The ads featured Harken’s grandson Trace, who died last year at age 33.
Harken, a literacy advocate who learned to read late in life, died in 2013 at the age of 76.
Harken sold his restaurants to Houston-based Mexican Restaurants in 2003.
KFDM/Fox 4 left a message with the owner of Casa Olé on Friday afternoon seeking comment on the closure of the Interstate 10 location.
In a social media post on KFDM’s Facebook page, Casa Olé shared:
After 45 wonderful years, we have closed our Calder location in Beaumont. We are deeply grateful for the countless memories we created there, especially those with our beloved Poppee. Your support has meant the world to us. We are proud to have served our community for generations and we hope you will continue to visit us at our Parkdale location and other nearby restaurants. We are committed to making Casa Ole a household name. Come join us tonight and have a margarita to honor our great legacy! Thank you, Beaumont. Love, Your Casa Ole Family
Locally, Casa Olé locations in Jasper, Orange, Silsbee and Vidor remain open. In Port Arthur, the Central Mall and Twin City Highway locations also remain open.
The restaurant chain also has locations in Bellmead, Bryan, Temple, Victoria and Sulphur, Louisiana.
