Here’s what’s replacing The Velo Fellow in downtown Greenville

When one door closes, another one one opens. At least that’s the case in Greenville’s West End.

Shortly after the owners of Velo Fellow announced the closing of their gastropub after a 14-year run, Jonathan Sanchez arrived on the scene, saw its potential and began making plans to open El Vago Mexican Kitchen there.  If that name rings a bell, you may be familiar with the eatery with the same name that opened in Columbia in August.

“Our square footage there is 3,600. The new El Vago will be twice that size,” said Sanchez.

Sanchez explains that the restaurant’s moniker roughly translates from the Spanish as “vagabond.” “It’s something your mother might say when she would call you out and tell you not to be wandering the streets,” Sanchez said.

The businessman’s entrepreneurial spirit initially led him to the automobile industry where he owned and operated two successful car dealerships.

“I did 20 years in the business selling high-end cars. After the pandemic hit, things took a turn, so my wife Sonia Barillos and I started opening grocery stores,” Sanchez said of Maz Fresco, located in North Charleston, with another location planned for the Myrtle Beach area.

Sanchez explains that stumbling upon the Velo Fellow property was serendipitous.

“I was looking for a viable grocery space when I came upon the property at One Augusta Street in Greenville and recognized its potential,” he said.

Sanchez wants to strike while the iron is hot, so to speak. “The multicultural economy is flourishing everywhere, so there’s a demand for authentic Mexican cuisine,” he said, adding that some of the dishes will carry over from the Columbia location.

“We’ll continue to serve traditional dishes like manudo, fajitas, enchiladas and street tacos, but there will be more of a focus on the seafood part of Mexican cuisine with seviche, langostinos, and aguachile, for example,” he said.

As for the cocktail menu, Sanchez is collaborating with a mixologist from Mexico.

“Greenville loves its drinks so we’ll be featuring an extensive selection of Mezcal and tequila, along with cocktails that go beyond the standard offerings,” he said.

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The décor will have a contemporary feel, with street murals and graffiti, according to Sanchez.

“If you’ve ever been to the art district in Miami, you’ll understand what sort of vibe we’re going for,” he said. Sanchez also plans to bring in deejays and musicians to entertain customers.

Sanchez said that he gets the word out via social media these days.

“We have experience doing the marketing for the car dealerships and were very successful, with 500,000 followers. We understand that one of the big challenges is to get information out in front of people everywhere. We do a good job at that,” he said.

Ever the planner, Sanchez said that the newest restaurant is just the beginning.

“My idea is to have a grocery store and a restaurant in all the major cities in Carolina,” Sanchez said, adding that he’s filling a niche in the area. “My friends and I would go to restaurants in Las Vegas, Miami and other big cities and always wonder why we couldn’t have something like that here; well now we will,” he said.

El Vago, Greenville, is expected to open in the spring of 2025 and will be open for lunch and dinner.