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ST. PETERSBURG - Peter Veytia ,Jr. took a leap of faith last November.
The owner of the Red Mesa Inc. restaurant on Fourth Street North became the first independent restaurateur to open a spin-off eating establishment in the new downtown Baywalk entertainment and retail center.
When Baywalk's 20 Muvico theaters empty out, customers line up for made-to-order black bean nachos and chicken club wraps at Adobo Grill LLC, Veytia's latest fresh fast-food venture with a handful of seats at an inside counter, and tables and chairs in the courtyard.
"Adobo is a big step," said Veytia. "I had been looking for over a year for a downtown location after the success of Red Mesa."
Since opening in 1995, Red Mesa has specialized in Southwestern, gourmet Mexican and Neovo Latino cuisine. Red Mesa chef Chris Fernandez is from Oaxaco, Mexico.
The 100-seat "upscale casual" restaurant offers beer and wine, takes no reservations and there's often a wait for tables during lunch and dinner. The restaurant employs 32.
Red Mesa...