Ixtapa closes JoCo favorite; owner says he won’t compromise family recipes or up prices as food, rent costs rise

Ixtapa Fine Mexican Cuisine has closed in Johnson County after five years.

Co-owner Victor Esqueda blamed rising costs — rent, ingredients and more — for the closing of the restaurant at 7305 W. 95th St. in Overland Park, near the sprawling Shamrock Trading Company campus.

Ixtapa Fine Mexican Cuisine in Overland Park; photo by Joyce Smith

“Everything has increased so much — food, alcohol 20 to 30 percent. Some meat is 100 percent more,” said Esqueda, owner with Alejandro Hernandez. “And I can not increase my prices.”

The restaurant was known for its fresh ingredients and authentic cuisine — fare he grew up on in Guadalajara, Mexico, and he uses some family recipes.

“It’s very specialized. It’s not fast food,” Esqueda said.

While weekend business was good, it dropped during the week.

He wanted better signage along 95th street and he even put up a temporary sign touting the restaurant: “Mexican food like you’ve never tried before,” and “Try Our Lunch Menu & Happy Hour” near the curb. But it wasn’t enough.

A roadside banner for Ixtapa Fine Mexican Cuisine in Overland Park; photo by Joyce Smith

Ixtapa had about 10 employees.

“I have wonderful customers and I thank them for their support,” Esqueda said Tuesday morning. “They are very kind and loyal and I hope to see them up north.”

His Northland location, across from Zona Rosa at 7103 N.W. Barry Road, launched two decades ago and remains open. Esqueda hopes Johnson County fans of the restaurant will journey north to the original location.

Lane4 Property Group has the listing for the turnkey Overland Park restaurant with patio.

Startland News contributor Joyce Smith covered local restaurants and retail for nearly 40 years with The Kansas City Star. Click here to follow her on Bluesky, here for X (formerly Twitter), here for Facebook, here for Instagram, and by following #joyceinkc on Threads.