Restaurant war involves ex-lovers, lawsuits, billboard
Reality-show producers would eat up the delicious twists in this restaurant war.
A feud between two of the best-known Mexican restaurants in Las Vegas has turned hotter than a habanero.
It’s a spicy stew featuring ex-lovers, lawsuits and a contentious billboard.
The billboard in question —an advertisement for Mundo restaurant and Alien tequila — sat atop El Sombrero Café for about a week before it was removed over the weekend.
El Sombrero’s Facebook page immediately blamed the billboard on George Harris, an operating partner of Mundo.
The word “bully” was mentioned.
According to Harris, his ex-girlfriend Irma Aguirre is a partner in El Sombrero while still an operating partner in Mundo, which opened about five years ago at the Las Vegas Design Center at the World Market Center.
The restaurants are about a mile apart.
Calls were left for Aguirre but were not returned by deadline.
“Bullied?” Harris said. “She’s the one who quit. She’s basically taken the Mundo menu and took it down the block.
“She’s trying to make me the bad guy,” said Harris, who added that Aguirre, who left Mundo three years ago, is accusing him of gender discrimination in a lawsuit. They dated more than six years, he said.
Harris admits that one of his many billboards showed up above El Sombrero, which reopened under new management this year.
“It was available, and we took it,” he said.
“The only reason it was put over El Sombrero was for marketing.”
But, he said, “Clear Channel called and said they made a mistake. They said the owners of the property have the first right of refusal.”
So a new Mundo billboard, “with 10 times the exposure,” he said, has gone up farther south on Main Street, near East Charleston Blvd.
“She’s a phenomenally talented person,” said Harris, “and none of us have anything against her.”
A photo of the Mundo billboard was no longer on El Sombrero’s Facebook page as of Tuesday.
Also missing were a number of comments that referenced the controversial billboard.
A new photo showed a blank billboard above El Sombrero with the comment, “Looking forward to seeing an advertising improvement from the last on this billboard.”
THE SCENE AND HEARD
Eye spies tell me President Barack Obama shot a 90 for the first 18 holes at Shadow Creek Golf Course on Saturday. He also was seen golfing Sunday at the Reflection Bay course with golf swing guru Butch Harmon. The Shadow Creek score included a couple balls into water hazards. ...
A new resident headliner at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace will be unveiled next Wednesday. ...
Pamela Anderson will be the maid of honor, and rock icon Chrissie Hynde will serve as best man at a gay wedding on Thanksgiving Day at the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign. PETA’s longtime spokesman Dan Mathews is marrying partner Jack Ryan. Hynde will sing at the 2 p.m. wedding. ...
Tad Mann, longtime road manager of 1950s singing star Johnnie Ray (“Cry” and “Just Walkin’ in the Rain”), died of pneumonia in Las Vegas on Saturday. His wife, Pamela, said Mann died the day before their 17th wedding anniversary. Mann, who was 79, had moved here in 1972.
SIGHTINGS
Los Angeles Dodgers star Yasiel Puig, with friends and family at Tao Asian Bistro (The Venetian) on Monday before heading to Marquee nightclub at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. ... Country icon Jack Jones, joining Clint Holmes, Kelly Clinton and Pia Zadora at Salvatore (Suncoast) on Sunday night after Jones’ concert.
THE PUNCH LINE
“After signing a contract for $325 million ... Marlins player Giancarlo Stanton celebrated with a $20,000 bottle of Champagne. So let the road to inexplicable bankruptcy begin!” — Jimmy Fallon
Norm Clarke’s column appears Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. He can be reached at 702-383-0244 or email him at norm@reviewjournal.com. Find more online at www.normclarke.com. Follow Norm on Twitter @Norm_Clarke.
