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Bromleys to take over Casa del Sol

From left, Walter McClure and Mary Beth Wigger will pass off management of Casa del Sol to Rick and Shannon (Muldowney) Bromley.

SARANAC LAKE — The present proprietors of Mexican restaurant Casa del Sol have announced that the new operators will be Rick and Shannon (Muldowney) Bromley, effective April 1.

Walter McClure and Mary Beth Wigger, who have operated the restaurant for the past six years, recently made the announcement.

“We are excited to turn over such a long-standing local tradition to Rick and Shannon,” they said in a press release.

McClure announced their intention to retire last year and has been preparing for the transition since. Rick Bromley is presently the executive chef at the Hotel Saranac. He is a graduate of the culinary program at Paul Smith’s College and has previously worked at Downhill Grill in Saranac Lake and the Mirror Lake Inn in Lake Placid.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled about this opportunity,” Rick said. “It is the culmination of my education and prior work experience.”

Shannon works as a math teacher at Saranac Lake High School.

He stated that the restaurant will still take its annual “siesta” during April while the transition is completed. Upon reopening, he said customers can expect much of the same menu and atmosphere that has made the eatery popular among locals and tourists, along with a few new ideas.

Casa del Sol, located at 513 Lake Flower Ave., was first opened by Harry Tucker in 1978 and became a popular for its food — it was one of the only Mexican restaurants in the North Country at the time — and its drinks, especially its margaritas. Tucker sold it to Bryan Morgan in 2008, but he closed it in December 2012 and declared bankruptcy. Charles “Tug” Duffy bought the property at auction in September 2013 and leased it to McClure and Wigger the following year.

When McClure and Wigger were announced as the managers in 2014, McClure noted that he had “been a customer since day one” — literally, since he was at Casa’s opening.

“My wife grew up just down the street, on Duprey Street,” he said. “When I got out of college I opened a bar in Lake Placid called P.J. O’Neill’s, which is now the Lake Placid Pub and Brewery. I was there from 1977 to 1984. We opened in the summer of ’77, and Harry opened Casa in ’78.”

(CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article incorrectly said Morgan decided to sell the property. The Enterprise regrets the error.)

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