New owners plan to reopen shuttered Mi Ranchito restaurant with new name in south Rockford

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — A local couple is working to reopen the shuttered Mi Ranchito restaurant on the city’s south side under a new but familiar name.

Maria Gonzalez and Martin Jimenez plan to reopen the restaurant at 2019 S. Main St. as El Ranchito. There’s no set timeline for opening, but the new owners’ goal is to make their debut within a couple of months.

“It’s something that we’ve always wanted. The opportunity came out of nowhere and we decided to take it,” Jimenez told the Rock River Current on Tuesday. “We’re trying to give the community of Rockford a taste of our recipes.”

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Mi Ranchito suddenly and quietly closed late last year. Jimenez, an Auburn High School and Rock Valley graduate, said it had long been a favorite for his family and others in south Rockford.

“Ever since I was little, we always went to Mi Ranchito because the food was really good,” he said. “We’re trying to do a similar thing by making our own handmade tortillas, sopes, everything starting from scratch.”

Jimenez said both he and his wife have experience in the restaurant industry, but it’s she who has the expertise in cooking authentic Mexican cuisine.

The owners are seeking City Council approval to add beer and wine sales along with video gaming terminals when they reopen the restaurant. The city’s Liquor & Tobacco Advisory Board gave the plan 6-0 approval on Tuesday night. It heads to the council’s Code & Regulation Committee on Monday for its second stop before a City Council vote.

“We’re friendly people. We care about customer service,” Jimenez said. “We’re working really hard to get the restaurant going. We’re really working on our recipes to make — we hope — the community of Rockford really like our food.”

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas