El Corral holds ribbon cutting for new location

By BRITTANY FHOLER 
Cove Leader-Press 
 
After closing of El Corral’s former drive-through location on Business 190 in December, the Yanez family opened the doors of their new sit-down restaurant to the public Monday afternoon following a ribbon cutting ceremony with the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce. 
The new restaurant can seat a total of 110 people indoors and outdoors as well as serve customers through their drive-thru, said restaurant co-owner Santana Yanez.
The restaurant also features a double kitchen, with one serving the dining area and one serving the drive-thru separately. 
“We actually sacrificed some dining area because we wanted a bigger kitchen,” Yanez said. “We had to give up to square footage to make it better for everyone.”
Other changes include some new additions to the menu, including items previously on the menu that were removed due to time constraints and the fact that the previous location was a drive-thru only restaurant. Items that weren’t a top seller were also removed. There are three dessert options- fried ice cream, sopapillas and tres leches cake. 
“We simplified the menu, but we made it good, so I’m sure there’s something everybody will want,” Yanez said. 
In addition to their famous build-your-own breakfast burritos and tacos, El Corral now offers chilaquiles, huevos rancheros, steak and eggs, omelets and pancakes. 
There is a bar inside, with several domestic and imported beer options. Yanez said they were not able to get a liquor license but that wasn’t a problem because they want the restaurant to be for families. 
Yanez said that opening this restaurant was a learning experience for his family, who operated their drive-thru restaurant on Bus. 190 for 10 years, first opening in 2008. 
“This is something new,” Yanez said. “We’ve never bought the land and built from the ground up.”
Yanez explained that them being new to this experience was the reason behind the delays in opening. There were a lot of things to be done that they weren’t aware of, but they finally made it to the end, he added. 
“It took us eight years and we outgrew the place so it’s time to expand to a dine in and drive-thru and just working hard to make our father proud,” Yanez said. “He’s in heaven looking down upon us.”
Yanez’s father, Efren Yanez, and his family came to the United States in 1995, living in Bryan before moving to Temple, where they opened their first restaurant in 2002. They ended up opening two other locations in Temple and Killeen before ending up in Copperas Cove in 2008. 
The family also owns a donut shop in Austin and Yanez Tree in Temple. 
“We’re all looking for the American Dream,” Yanez said.  “It all started with my father. He came here as an illegal just looking for a dream, trying to maintain his family.”
Yanez owns and operates the restaurant with seven siblings. 
“Some people say it’s harder with family,” Yanez said. “It is but it’s also nice. Nobody’s going to take care of your business like you do.” 
El Corral is located at 901 S. Main St. Their hours of operation are 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.