WEDC is supporting the project with a $250,000 Community Development Investment grant
MADISON, WI. OCT. 15, 2026 – For restaurant owner Juan Pablo Nunez, better known as JP, starting an upscale Latin restaurant has been his dream for many years. Soon, it will become reality.
Condesa will be an upscale wood-fired, Latin-inspired steakhouse offering premium steaks, seafood, and modern Latin cuisine, along with craft cocktails and beverages.
“I started Condesa because it’s a cuisine that I’m really passionate about,” Nunez said. “Whenever I travel to Mexico and other parts of Latin America, I experience food, flavors, and restaurants that really stick with me, and I wanted to bring a piece of that back and share it with people here at home. I chose upscale Latin because I wanted to show people that there’s so much more to Latin food than your basic taco shack.”
The new restaurant will occupy a 12,000-square-foot space in downtown Eau Claire that has been vacant for 10 years. Steps away from the Pablo Center at the Confluence — an arts and cultural center for concerts, performances, and visual arts — Condesa will serve the pre- and post-event dining demand, as well as increasing foot traffic in the evenings and weekends.
“We’re all very excited here in Eau Claire to have another dining option, especially to pair that with a night at the art center, seeing a Broadway show or a concert,” said Kendall Williams, specialist for the City of Eau Claire Economic Development Division. “It’ll be a great all-in-one experience. And there’s a hotel nearby, so you can make it a whole little trip if you wanted.”
A $250,000 Community Development Investment grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) will support construction and renovations for the $1.3 million project.
“Condesa is the perfect, vibrant addition to downtown Eau Claire,” said John W. Miller, secretary and CEO of WEDC, the state’s leading economic development organization. “At WEDC, we couldn’t be more excited for the new restaurant to open, and we are proud to support the project, now and into the future.”
Construction began in June, and the restaurant is scheduled to open by the end of October. When complete, Condesa will be another option of the growing number of places people can eat, see, and explore along the Eau Claire riverfront.
“We will have a brand-new attraction right downtown next to all of our other attractions that have had major investments put into them over the last decade or two that will help with tourism, and it will help keep those dollars local,” Williams said. “It’s a local restauranteur, a local family that has invested their lives here in western Wisconsin.”
Nunez hopes to partner with the local Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC) culinary program and give students hands-on experience working in the local restaurant scene.
“I’m really excited to be working with the CVTC culinary program because we can provide a platform for aspiring chefs instead of losing them to bigger cities,” Nunez said. “We lose so much talent and so many passionate people because there aren’t always enough outlets for them here in Eau Claire. We get the benefit of working with some of the most enthusiastic and passionate people in our area, while hopefully giving them an opportunity to build their careers here.”
Nunez said he’s eager to work with a team who shares his enthusiasm for food and service.
“We’re putting together a team of people who want to be the best at what they do while providing a great experience for our guests, and honestly, it makes me really happy to see a dream I’ve had for so many years finally come together.”
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