MEX Restaurant patio expansion approved

By Dana Casadei

The Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees voted unanimously for MEX Restaurant to move forward with its proposed patio expansion, which will add an additional 890.5-square-feet to its current patio.

The addition will allow for 55 patrons to sit outside when the weather is nice next year, hopefully by next summer. The project work to the existing restaurant will start in January 2026 , and is being considered a seasonal outdoor area rather than an addition to the space because this expansion isn’t going to be a fully enclosed building.

Prior to its remodel a few years ago MEX Restaurant had large opening garage doors that lead to the patio, but during their remodel they switched to sliding glass doors, which was not a successful plan.

“We did sliding glass doors and we failed. It feels like an alley on the patio now,” said Josh Humphrey, part owner of MEX Restaurant and chief operating officer for Peas & Carrots Hospitality. “This plan just opens it up and makes for a better patio season for our guests. There’s a finite amount of days to sit on a patio… so we’re trying to capitalize on that.”

The proposed space will have an exterior that’s predominately stucco with a Santa Barbara finish on the bottom portion, with cement breeze block above, and a composite decking parapet. There will also be shading elements made of bamboo material to block some of the sun.

“It looks very attractive, it looks a lot more appealing, and yet, you don’t feel like you’re sitting on the edge of the parking lot,” said trustee Valerie Murray. “I think it looks very nice.”

The site plan and special land use request has already gone before the design review board and planning commission, both of which voted unanimously to have the plan come before the board of trustees.

The last time MEX Restaurant, located at 6675 Telegraph Road, went before any township board, was nearly 13 years ago.

In 2012, they were approved for a Class C Liquor license and extended hours of operation. The restaurant was later approved for the south patio and year-round for the west patio. With this patio expansion the hours of MEX Restaurant will not change from what they currently are.

Due to the changes to the patio, a new 5-foot-wide pedestrian sidewalk will be installed between the patio and access drive for easy access to the restaurant’s front door, and one parking lot tree will have to be relocated.