Guzman y Gomez set to open third Illinois location in Crystal Lake

A new fast-food Mexican restaurant is soon opening in Crystal Lake, marking the chain's third location in Illinois.

Guzman y Gomez, an "authentic Mexican fast-food" restaurant, will open a new location along Route 14 on April 27, according to a news release.

The restaurant will serve a classic Mexican cuisine, including quesadillas, burritos, bowls, nachos, tacos, nachos fries and a "famous cali burrito," which is a burrito with fries in it.

The overall concept aims at an urban street-style for both its restaurant and food, according to the release. It's expected the restaurant will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., which is similar to other locations.

The restaurant plans to run a $5 promo on bowls and burritos, as has been done at previous openings, spokesperson Kathy Bryja said. In the days following, a more complete menu, including cocktails and margaritas, will be made available.

The location, at 5459 Northwest Highway, broke ground on a new building in 2022.

Crystal Lake Mayor Haig Haleblian said what attracted Guzman y Gomez to town was its "vibrant local economy."

"Crystal Lake staff and City Council has worked tirelessly to continue to be the leading community in the Northwest suburbs not only in retail offerings, but also recreation and lifestyle offerings," Haleblian said.

The chain opened a location in January in Schaumburg, which was its second location in the state, and saw a two-hour wait-time for food because of the volume, Bryja said. For the new location in Crystal Lake, the business is expecting similar traffic when it opens.

"People were excited, to say the least," Bryja said.

Guzman y Gomez opened its first Illinois location in Naperville in 2019, Bryja said. Originally started in Australia by New York native Steven Marks, Guzman y Gomez now has more than 170 locations across the world, including in Australia, Singapore, Japan and the U.S., according to the release.