A vacant Mexican restaurant on Third Street in Bend could soon be remodeled into a Baja Fresh Mexican Grill. Ed Casey, who owns Baja Fresh franchises throughout Oregon and Washington, has submitted plans to the city of Bend to remodel the old Pancho Villa’s building at 916 NE Third St.

”When we opened our store in Beaverton five years ago, we had people asking, ‘when are you coming to Bend,’” Casey said. ”So, it is in response to the requests we’ve had over the years.”

The restaurant prides itself on its made-to-order items likes burritos, tacos, quesadillas, nachos and salads.

”We make everything fresh from scratch,” Casey said. ”It’s not traditional fast-food, it’s more quality food.”

In addition to soft drinks, the restaurant will also sell bottled Mexican import beer, Casey said.

The 3,121-square-foot space is expected to seat between 75 to 80 people and employ 20 to 25 people, Casey said.

If everything is approved by the city, Casey said he would like to start construction in the next few weeks and open the restaurant as early as mid-January.

This would be the 13th Baja Fresh location in Oregon, Casey said.

Based in Thousand Oaks, Calif., parent company Fresh Enterprises Inc. owns or franchises more than 200 Baja Fresh restaurants in 20 states and the District of Columbia. The company, a subsidiary of the Wendy’s hamburger chain, had an estimated $100 million in sales during its last fiscal year, according to Hoover’s online business information service.

The building, on Third Street between Franklin and Greenwood Avenues, had been a Kentucky Fried Chicken for years before being turned into Pancho Villa’s.

Dan Hobin, managing partner of Bend Capital Partners, said the group purchased the building last April.

Hobin said he plans to offer Baja Fresh a 10-year lease in the building.

About $250,000 will likely be spent on remodeling the building into a Baja Fresh, Hobin said.

”It’s better to rehab than build new,” Hobin said. ”We need more of that on Third Street. Maybe this will be the start.”

Casey said customers who want to find out more about the restaurant can call his office and be put on a mailing list to be sent grand opening information. For more information about Baja Fresh call: 503-625-3577.