The popularity of La Rosa Mexican restaurant, right, sometimes strains the parking lot of the strip center, which also houses two other tenants that serve food and seven additional businesses. La Rosa's owner bought Kava, next door, to expand but decided against expansion because of parking. Instead, he's looking to open a second site in Bend.

When La Rosa opened its doors two years ago on Northwest College Way, developer Mike Walker thought the small, locally owned Mexican restaurant would cater to a lunch crowd and not generate significant traffic.

He now regrets the misunderstanding. The Bend eatery has become a popular dinner spot.

”Obviously, I goofed on that,” said Walker, managing partner for College Way Partners LLC, which built the strip center in which La Rosa rents space. ”It’s much more than a lunch place.”

Walker’s development – zoned convenience commercial, which is a mixed-use commercial space made for small businesses that fit their neighborhood surroundings – is part of a growing trend in west Bend developments. Since the developments are often surrounded by neighborhoods, parking can be a problem, especially if a business becomes too popular for the space it occupies.

That’s what happened to La Rosa, Walker said.

”We want our businesses to be successful,” Walker said. ”We had no idea they’d be that successful.”

La Rosa is one of three tenants serving food in Walker’s two-building development: the Mercury Diner, Kava coffee shop and La Rosa. The other seven businesses – including a children’s photo studio, hair salon and office spaces – share the development’s 75 parking spaces in the front and back of the buildings.

That normally wouldn’t be a problem, Walker said, since most of the businesses don’t have competing peak traffic hours. But the development wasn’t designed to handle the heavy restaurant traffic, especially with only one entrance limited to right-hand turns in and out.

Many customers cross through the neighboring Chevron gas station to turn left onto Newport Avenue when they leave the center, Walker said, but they’re not technically supposed to do that.

”How do you stop it?” Walker said, adding that the Chevron owner is nice enough not to complain.

The Chevron owner could not be reached for comment.

Parking has become tighter in the past two weeks, Walker said, as summer weather brings more customers and outdoor seating. As a result, he’s asked restaurant employees to park off-site on Fridays and Saturdays so customers can have the best parking. The rule’s been hard to enforce.

”When employees get lazy and park inside, it makes the situation worse,” Walker said, adding that he’s heard no parking complaints from his tenants.

La Rosa co-owner Marcos Rodriguez said his restaurant has quickly outgrown its space, with customers often spilling outside as they wait for tables.

Seeking solutions

To make room for the demand, Rodriguez bought Kava six months ago. He planned to turn it into additional La Rosa seating or a banquet room, but he decided against it, citing parking concerns.

”If you have 20 people in Kava, there will be no parking for the next couple blocks,” Rodriguez said. ”We have a tough time with parking, but people have started walking or riding bikes since we got good weather. That’s made it better.”

The convenience of stores and restaurants a short walk from home is part of the draw for these types of developments, said Bob Smith, of Woodside Development LLC, who’s building a mixed-use project on Southwest Knoll Avenue and Century Drive.

He’s building similar developments on Fourth Street and Butler Market Road and at the corner of College Way and Newport Avenue – across from Walker’s buildings.

He said the mixed-use project – which has retail, restaurant and residential space – is the kind of development Bend’s west side is ready for and needs.

”I think it enhances the neighborhood,” Smith said. ”I like commercial mixed-use (developments) because they are more interesting. The sites are more attractive to people, with several kinds of retail, and people can both live and work there.”

Smith said he can learn from experiences like Walker’s, showing the importance of mixing tenants who don’t compete with each other and don’t overcrowd the parking lot.

”You have to pay attention to parking,” Smith said. ”If you don’t have the available parking, you lose valuable tenants.”

Debbie Croom, city of Bend associate planner, worked on Walker’s development. She said Walker discussed each new tenant with her, making sure to keep enough parking spaces available. He even got a conditional-use permit to add parking in the far corner of the back parking lot, which is owned by someone else.

If hungry customers still can’t find dinner parking in his development, Walker recommends they arrive earlier or later than usual.

For now, La Rosa won’t expand at its present location, Rodriguez said, though he’s looking into opening a second La Rosa in Bend. He couldn’t say when or where.

Sarah Huegel, co-owner of Sprouts Kids Salon located below La Rosa, said her business is not affected by the restaurant’s heavy traffic because the salon has three designated parking spaces.

She said the restaurant’s popularity has increased the salon’s exposure.

75 spaces go fast

La Rosa is one of three tenants serving food in Walker’s two-building development: the Mercury Diner, Kava coffee shop and La Rosa. The other seven businesses – including a children’s photo studio, hair salon and office spaces – share the development’s 75 parking spaces in the front and back of the buildings.