By Josh Siatkowski | Staff Writer

Following the January shutdown of The Mix Cafe, a successor restaurant is gearing up to begin operations in the same space as soon as Thursday.

The Trompo King, run by Jorge Alvarado Jr. and his father, will serve a variety of Mexican dishes, but specializes in trompo. “Trompo,” which roughly translates to “spinning top,” describes al pastor pork roasted on a rotating spit, but it is slightly different from an al pastor taco.

The restaurant aims to hold its soft opening Thursday, which will contain a limited menu, Alvarado said. A grand opening, fit with mariachis or a DJ, is in the works for the coming weeks.

“Something that Baylor hasn’t seen yet”

Alvarado’s new restaurant is a mix of simplicity and speed, contrasted with authentic, high-quality food, he said. On one hand, Trompo King will have all the staples of Latin cuisine.

“We try to keep it simple,” Alvarado said. “We’re going to have tacos, quesadillas, burritos, tortas, wings, loaded french fries, baked potatoes. We’re going to have breakfast tacos … and breakfast burritos in the mornings.”

Conscious of students’ busy days and short passing periods, Alvarado also promised fast service, with a five- to eight-minute order fulfillment time.

But on the other hand, Alvarado said he wants students to experience high-quality, authentic Mexican cuisine. Food will be served on custom boards instead of paper products, and in addition to his signature al pastor pork, students will see drink selections that might be new to them — an array of Mexican fruit waters, or aguas frescas.

“We don’t sell sodas,” Alvarado said. “What we sell is a 44-ounce cup of fruit water. So you’re looking at Horchata, jamaica, limon con pepino, lemonade, cantaloupe and watermelon, and we make it fresh.”

Another novelty is Trompo King’s expansive hours. While The Mix closed in the late afternoon, Alvarado said for the first month of operating, the restaurant will be open seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and until midnight on weekends. Once customer flow is assessed, the hours will be adjusted, and the restaurant will likely close on Sundays or Mondays.

Growing Fast

Trompo, combined with the fruit waters, has been the engine behind the restaurant’s growth from a single truck to a local chain, Alvarado said.

“In the seven years since we’ve been born, that’s what we’re pushing in all of our locations,” Alvarado said. “I feel like it’s something that a lot of people don’t see around the Waco area.”

Initially a single food truck in 2018, Alvarado said the restaurant was his father’s, who has worked in the food industry for his whole career.

“All his life, he had a vision of opening his own [restaurant],” Alvarado said. “He was there every single day, every single night. He wouldn’t move from there.”

Surviving the COVID-19 pandemic, which hit restaurants particularly hard, Trompo King emerged stronger. Alvarado and his father opened a second food truck, followed by a physical building in the following years. Now preparing for its fourth location, Alvarado said he’s ready for ample business.

“We have been having a lot of students coming in and asking when we’re going to open,” Alvarado said. “We’re very excited to be in the Baylor area for all of the students.”

Freshly Painted

Perhaps the most memorable component of the new location — before the food has made any impression — is the decoration. A layer of bright orange paint sits behind a hand-painted mural. The color, Alvarado says, is a trade trick passed down to his father.

“This color orange is supposed to make people want to eat more,” Alvarado said. “That’s what my dad was taught.”

The mural atop the base layer is a mix of Mexican culture and Baylor community. On one wall, a Baylor Bear is painted with a green sweater. On another wall is Waco’s ALICO building. And toward the back is a Day of the Dead-inspired section.

Aside from increasing appetites, Alvarado also said he hopes customers will appreciate the custom artwork, even offering it as a photo backdrop.

Succeeding a Campus Staple

As it aims for a soft opening on Thursday, Trompo King has quickly retooled and renovated the former location of The Mix Cafe. The Mix, known for its salads and sandwiches, opened in 2015 at 5th Street and Bagby Avenue.

While the owner could not be contacted to comment on the reason for closure, the restaurant closed part of its dining area in the fall. And last month, a law firm posted a sign on The Mix’s door stating that the tenants owed $13,000 in rent, according to KWTX.

Perhaps one of the most closely affected individuals of the recent closure is accounting professor Don Carpenter. Carpenter, an affable former waste management executive, ate lunch there almost every day with students for the past eight years through his “You Book, I Buy” program.

“In class, you only know people based on what they do in class,” Carpenter said. “Some people never choose to speak, but even if they do, it’s always in the context of accounting, and everybody’s story is a lot bigger than whatever subject you’re teaching.”

The scale of his operation is massive, with Carpenter estimating that he’s met with over 3,000 students since starting. This semester alone, he’s booked for months.

“This semester, I’m booked until early April,” Carpenter said. “I’ve had high school kids email me and say, ‘I’m coming in the fall, and I want to get on your calendar before it fills up.’”

Carpenter, calling himself the “anchor” of the recently-closed restaurant, said almost every single lunch was at The Mix. While he’s recently been holding most meetings at the Baylor Sciences Building cafeteria, Carpenter said he’s excited to try out the new Trompo King. Alvarado shared a similar sentiment.

“We’re happy to take him in and all of the students, and we’ll give our best,” Alvarado said.

And thankfully for Carpenter, who routinely ordered the salads, Alvarado said the menu will include salads and vegan options by the time of the grand opening.