LA GRANDE — A promising new chapter in the story of Raul’s Taqueria is about to begin in space that once housed a bookstore.

The popular Mexican restaurant will soon double in size after the renovation of 1,000 square feet of space adjacent to it is complete. The restaurant’s new addition is set to open sometime next week.

“We are very, very excited,” said Arturo Escamilla, co-owner of Raul’s Taqueria with his father in-law, Raul Correa.

The addition, which previously housed Looking Glass Books, will feature a bar with a porcelain tile surface and seating for 43 customers. Its features also include five televisions and ceramic tile floors.

The bar will serve seven varieties of draft beer, including Modelo, Widmer, Dos Equis XX, Coors Light, Irish Death and Barley Brown’s IPA. The varieties include a seventh which will be changed depending on the season.

The bar will also feature other drinks, including gin, rum, scotch, tequila, Irish whiskey and Canadian whiskey.

“We hope to have the largest selection of alcoholic drinks in La Grande,” Escamilla said.

The renovation work, which started in April of 2020, will be paid for with the assistance of a $21,072 grant from the city of La Grande’s Urban Renewal Call for Projects program.

“That will be a tremendous help,” Escamilla said.

Funds from the grant will also be used to help pay for extensive renovation work that has been completed at Raul’s current space, including new paint, new back door, replacing styrofoam signs with ones with metal lettering and adding lettering over the entrance.

The renovation of the restaurant’s old and new space has been a time-consuming and sometimes grueling process.

“We did everything ourselves except for the electrical and plumbing work,” Escamilla said.

Additions to be made later include the installation of a digital jukebox. People with the proper smartphone app will be able to select from thousands of songs they will be able to play without leaving their seats.

Escamilla and Correa have wanted to move into the adjacent space ever since Looking Glass Books moved out about two years ago.

Escamilla said there will be no grand opening for the new addition because of COVID-19 restrictions. Once restrictions are lifted there likely will be a grand-opening event.

Raul’s has been operating at its present location on Adams Avenue since it opened in August 2011.

The restaurant’s most popular foods, Escamilla said, are street tacos, Raul’s burritos and huaraches, which is fried cornbread topped with beans, meat, cheese and tomatoes.

Escamilla said the past year has been one of the restaurant’s toughest because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He credits loyal customers with allowing his restaurant to continue operating when many others could not.

“The support we have received has been amazing,” he said.