An upscale Mexican restaurant called Se Cocina is moving into the former El Tapatio location at 608 Austin Ave.

Owner Sebastian Garduno is remodeling the place, hoping for an opening on either May 11 or May 18.

Garduno said he’s worked at several other Mexican restaurants and now is living his dream of owning his own place.

A menu for Se Cocina already is circulating, and the choices range from traditional Tex-Mex fare to house specialties.

The bottom reads: “Everything comes with a side of good service.”

Development around Chipotle

You’ve probably heard about the Chipotle restaurant scheduled to open June 27 at 1115 N. Valley Mills Drive.

It will occupy an eye-catching building that includes about 2,900 square feet of retail space. Realtor Bland Cromwell said that space is attracting plenty of attention, and he should be able to close a deal and make an announcement soon.

“A national company has shown significant interest, but we have not signed a lease,” Cromwell said Friday afternoon.

Green symposium

Green gets top billing on Tuesday, Earth Day, when the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce and Public Citizen of Texas will hold a “Growing Business Green” symposium.

It will last from 10 a.m. to noon in the Clarion Hotel, 801 South Fourth St. The general public is not invited because of limited space, but invitations have been sent to several groups.

Leaders in the areas of green job creation, renewable energy and energy efficiency will speak at the conference.

Green energy in Waco

If you haven’t heard of Green Mountain Energy, you probably will soon.

The Austin company that sells what it calls pollution-free electricity has targeted Waco in its latest advertising campaign.

Its game plan calls for door-to-door canvassing; table displays at local retailers, including HEB, Bicycles Outback and Bear Mountain locations; and a presence at local fairs and festivals.

It also will spend money on TV, billboard and print advertising.

Two Green Mountain Energy representatives — Marci Grossman and Helen Brauner — even stopped by the Trib to talk about the company.

They said Green Mountain Energy was the first retail electric provider to sell cleaner electricity when deregulation in Texas began in 2001. By cleaner they mean it is produced with little or no pollution.

It has targeted customers in the state’s larger cities, they say, but now are setting their sights on midsize communities. They say the “green” approach to energy production is gaining momentum.

Green energy is not the least expensive, said Brauner, but she calls Green Mountain’s rates “competitive.”

The company also has a presence in Florida, Oregon, New York and New Jersey. Its Web address is www.greenmountain energy.com.

Record gas prices

High gasoline prices are nothing new, but last week was a record-breaking week in Texas.

The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded climbed to $3.33, according to the AAA Texas auto club.

Still, it could be worse.

“At $3.33 a gallon, the Texas average is one of the lowest in the U.S., with California having the highest average at $3.82 a gallon,” AAA spokeswoman Rose Rougeau said.

mcopeland@wacotrib.com

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