The first week of February brought eight openings, including a big change for the Las Delicias location in Parker, which has served the community since the 1980s.
Las Delicias is a local chain that was started by Robert and Norma Torres at 439 East 19th Avenue in 1976; that spot is still open today as Las Delicias Uptown. More spots opened over the decades; today, in addition to the flagship, the company operates Las Delicious North at 7610 Conifer Road and a Glendale outpost at 4301 East Kentucky Avenue (which got its start decades ago as The Riveria). As of February 5, though, the longtime Parker location has a new name, owner and updated menu.
When the previous owners decided to retire, they opted to pass the business to Juan “John” Andrade, who began working at Las Delicias over three decades ago, when he was just eighteen. It’s now named El Delicioso; Andrade, who’s moving to an employee-owned model, has retained many of the staff members, including longtime manager Jesus “Chuy.” While the Las Delicious customer favorites will remain on the menu, there is also a new selection of Tex-Mex dishes inspired by Andrade’s family recipes; some gradual interior and operational improvements will roll over over the coming months…