Orange County Register

El Conejo Mexican Restaurant on Jeffrey Road, just off the I-5 freeway, has closed for business. The spot will become Thai Cafe – a second location for the owners of Thai Kitchen Restaurant on Barranca Parkway.

The Mexican eatery opened 24 years ago and changed owners in 1999 and 2005, according to the city’s business permit database.

John Grovom, one of the immediate past owners, said he did not want to give up the long-time restaurant. It had a loyal following, he said, but the demographics of the area changed dramatically and business had slowed down too much. The stand-alone building is on the outside corner of Arbor Village Center, which is home to several Asian businesses.

“It was a sad day when it was ultimately closed down,” Grovom said. He still owns the El Conejo on Alicia Parkway in Laguna Hills, and a colleague of his owns the El Conejo on N. Tustin Avenue in Santa Ana. Both are still open for business.

Josef and Lalan Karjadi, who purchased the El Conejo spot, had their eye on the location for quite some time, Lalan said. They would drive by often and comment about what a great piece of property it was. Separately, several of their regular customers had encouraged them to open a second, larger location. Thai Kitchen Restaurant, which the Karjadis have owned for about 15 years, can sit about 60 people.

So, when El Conejo went on sale last year, the Karjadis quickly purchased it. They bought it about seven months ago, kept it running while they developed a business plan, and closed it down in late November, she said.

The couple is renovating the empty building for their new restaurant, Thai Cafe, which should open in two to three months, Lalan said. The Karjadis are Indonesian. They employ a Thai chef.

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