Along with Mannys, and Margarita Villa, Reggies 8/12 has historically been a long time popular place for US visitors. Snacks, beer, burritos and donuts. If you were hanging out at Margarita Villa, you probably knew Reggie. A new Mexico boy, as was Rick the manager of Margarita Villa, he knew how to run an American Style convenience store. Always stocked with the right stuff American's expected. Cold beer by the case with refundable bottles !! I think 8/12 was the first 'convenience store' in Penasco.
When Reggies cousin, up in Lordsburg, went belly up with a Dunkin Donuts franchise, Reggie high tailed it up there and hauled off the equipment much to the dismay of Dunkin Donuts Corp. who wanted it back ! Drunken Donuts were now available at Reggies. They prepared burritos in the kitchen, big fat ones, Amercan style. Not the little ones favored by Mexicans. Weekends, you expected to stand in line, as people exchanged empty cases for full and grabbed burritos by the armload for breakfast and lunch.
Over the years Circle K and Oxxo have expanded around Penasco but Reggies has soldiered on. Sold off by Reggie to Larry Large, before Reggie and Rick moved to Asia, two new locations were planned and one actually opened on Calle 13. Ownership was then transferred to someone else, the new locations closed and Reggies original location faltered badly. No inventory on the shelves and all the same stuff as the little tiendas. Over the past couple of years they have brought it back significantly, still with the best American style burritos, and Drunken Donuts. Dispite all that sales have been marginal.
Recently (3 weeks ago) some construction started on Sinaloa across from Capones. wham, Bam, it was like the Wal Mart going up FAST. At first I thought it was a garage for the large adjoing house, then as it developed it looked like an Oxxo. Well the parking lot is done, glass in the windows, the Oxxo sign is up, the shelves are installed and it will probably be open very shortly. Oxxo is owned by Famsa, a Mexican Corporation that posted at 30% increase in one quarter some time ago.
Take a stroll down memory lane while you can. Stop by Reggies, grab a burrito (might be your last chance Kenny), maybe a case of beer with refundable bottles, get some Drunken Donuts and coffee. I can't imagine it will withstand the impact of an Oxxo two blocks away. There just ain't that much business to go around.
You're talking to one of the biggest Reggie's fans ever. I still frequent it every time I'm in town. Reggie's is one of the reasons I always stay at Playa Inn -- it's within staggering distance!!
I've been known to bring back a dozen of those burritos with me and freeze them. I was sad to see them become a Super X. Tecate mafia!!
Roberto, FEMSA is also a beverage company, they make Indio, Tecate and Carta Blanca beer. Also a subsidiary of Heineken International, figure that one out.
Yup, big Reggie's fan here. A friend of mine even did a Drunkin' Donuts theme night recently at her art gallery in Tucson, though for some reason she assumed it was no longer in operation. The theme, of course, was donuts and beer.
Will definitely stop by and pick up some burros and extras when we go down in a couple of weeks.
Roberto, FEMSA is also a beverage company, they make Indio, Tecate and Carta Blanca beer. Also a subsidiary of Heineken International, figure that one out.
We always go to Reggie's no mater what. If they didnt have what we wanted I would go to a Mexican run store, never a Circle K or Walmart here. Leave the $ where they belong.....
Also only Mexican beer
You're talking to one of the biggest Reggie's fans ever. I still frequent it every time I'm in town. Reggie's is one of the reasons I always stay at Playa Inn -- it's within staggering distance!!
I've been known to bring back a dozen of those burritos with me and freeze them. I was sad to see them become a Super X. Tecate mafia!!
That's right Stuart, the Playa Inn and Reggies go hand in hand, and of course I stopped there on my way to the Estuary during spring break to pick up some burro's on my way there. I'll see you Saturday Roberto, and on my way out I'll be sure to stop and pick some up.
Did all of us have some good times at the Playa in back in the day or what Stuart? Just the suits on the left @ 30 bucks a night, free booze at happy hour for a hour, and a great continental type breakfast thrown in to boot. Oh yes, those were some fun times.
Plus smart enough not to sell low profit gasoline like most convience stores, they push something they know Mexicans need just as much as gas, Beer. There is almost no money in the gas business, the gas guy's depend on the stores for their profits. Plus time to build a gas station from permits to finish, maybe 3 years, a store like OXXO maybe 6 months if that, and to keep cost of building cheap, they usually work out a finance (lease) plan with the owner of the land. If you own the land there is no tax deduction, with a lease plan 100% of the payment is deductible.
The speed with which that Oxxo came out of the ground was amazing, for any country. They have the construction down pat. There was no sitting around waiting for deliveries.
Interesting they dont carry the big Tecate sign isn't it ?
Met the great Reggae himself while searching for tortillas. Told him because of the forum, I would place as many dollas at his place that I could, that he was revered and to keep it going. Nice chap.
Met the great Reggae himself while searching for tortillas. Told him because of the forum, I would place as many dollas at his place that I could, that he was revered and to keep it going. Nice chap.
?????? Not sure who you met. Ernie Large maybe ? Reggie lives in Asia.
I recall when Reggae first took off to Asia and there was an earthquake and no one heard from him after everything had gone down. Guess he was hanging with the guy from Mvilla.
I recall when Reggae first took off to Asia and there was an earthquake and no one heard from him after everything had gone down. Guess he was hanging with the guy from Mvilla.
Yep, that's true. Actually they were on a train along the coast and were unaffected by the earthquate. They had been running sex tours from the US and decided to move over there. I was in e-mail contact for awhile, not for a few years now though.
He was kinda nasty. Very nice person but I saw him pull his dingaling out of his pants and dance around one night at the Dugout, now you know how he put the hole in his doughnuts.
He was kinda nasty. Very nice person but I saw him pull his dingaling out of his pants and dance around one night at the Dugout, now you know how he put the hole in his doughnuts.
~ ~ ~ We heard that he peeled out to Tahiti, ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ He was on his friends pontoon boat one time, just off the ramp @ PDO,
~ ~ ~ All were drunk as hell,
~ ~ ~ Waiting for the tractor & trailer, & he whipped out his "kitty" there too,
Whenever we go into town we always stop by reggies for beer and burritos and any other things we forgot on the way. Love it. Great burritos. When I was down this weekend I saw that the Reggies on calle 13 was closed. Bummer. I use the one by las conchas anyways but still a bummer. Hopefully they can withstand the oxxo attack.
You're talking to one of the biggest Reggie's fans ever. I still frequent it every time I'm in town. Reggie's is one of the reasons I always stay at Playa Inn -- it's within staggering distance!!
I've been known to bring back a dozen of those burritos with me and freeze them. I was sad to see them become a Super X. Tecate mafia!!
Stuart, I also was bummed about the 'Tacate takeover'. Not sure if you know however that if you stand at the entrance of Reggie's, looking out across that open dirt field, just 1 block over there is little liquor store with a big roll-up door attached to the building and they sell Pacifico/Corona products. Good old returnables too.
I do indeed know the place and use it for all my Pacifico needs. It's behind the liquor store I always used to like, which is now also a Super T.
I'll never forget one night in that liquor store (I think it was named Brava). I was picking up some beer for fishing the next day and this very oddly dressed transvestite sort came into the store and started chiding the owner in this gay sing-song voice. The owner yelled at him to get out of his store. The TV left, but came back in again and started his little song. The owner pulled out a baseball bat and went after him, chasing him out of the store and down the street, getting a few good whacks in on him with the bat. Then like nothing ever happened, the owner returned, I paid for my beer and left. The wife was waiting in the truck for me and said "What in the hell was all that about?" I just looked at her and said "I have no idea, honey, nor do I want to know!"
That is one place I stop to buy beer too. But they were out of everything by Sunday. Those huge roll up doors and a lady drives up in a small truck and has 5 cases of beer and about 7 six packs of beer. The byers were in line and helped her unlod the truck calling what they wanted on the way in. We left.
There was a shortage of Pacifico last weekend, but I did find it at the Michigan Market....just to let you guys know. The store across the field from Reggie's is where we always go, but they only had Pacifico Light. Does anyone remember Pops, Reggie's "righthand man"?
a friend of mine loves the bean and cheese burros at Reggie's. and don't forget that these tortillas are super-fresh, made hours earlier--that's half of the enjoyment right there!
Reggie's closed over a week ago for "remodeling". It is curious why they would remodel just as we enter the busy season. I hope that they will be back but judging by the lack of items in the store over the past few months, the closing may be permanent. Does anyone know more? I miss the donuts.
Bill Abeyta, the manager told me the plan was to sell only donuts, waffles and burritos. Yes It is closed and I will be surprised if it ever opens again. It's been a money losing operation for some time. The electric bill alone had to have been huge running all those coolers.
Strange....
I was there over Pres Day weekend. Stopped in to get a breakfast burrito. Has been a mainstay for me to buy one of my favorite Tequilas since Lupe (Mickeys) passed away. Didn't look like they were getting ready to close though.
Tks Terry, been going there since Reggie and his little sidekick open it, I can't seem to recall when they started selling burritos, I remember we started with the breakfast one's and gradually moved on the asada, much better than the ladies that deliver to your front door in the mornings. Back in the day when you could cross all the food from the states was nice, but you always forgot or ran out of something. Beer by the box was always a plus. My brother knew Reggie from Douglas Az when he worked at the POE, So they would go on and on. I didn't know they actually had the dunkin donuts machine out of new mexico, not much of a donuts guy, pan dulce is a different story.
Something is happening !! A crew power washed the building and repainted the entire thing in bright, vivid colors in a pattern some what similar to Oxxo. No signage except the old signs on the pole. Will check today.
Something is happening !! A crew power washed the building and repainted the entire thing in bright, vivid colors in a pattern some what similar to Oxxo. No signage except the old signs on the pole. Will check today.
Not open as of today 5/2 but more cars are parked along the side of the building.The place is clean a polished looking, new signs and all. The tension is building. Will there be burritos and donuts on Monday ???!!! Inquiring minds and hungry stomachs want to know!
Not open as of today 5/2 but more cars are parked along the side of the building.The place is clean a polished looking, new signs and all. The tension is building. Will there be burritos and donuts on Monday ???!!! Inquiring minds and hungry stomachs want to know!
It's about 4pm and I stopped because the door was open. They are OPEN! They had some burritos, liquor, Tecate beers, and soft drinks. I didn't check on the donut side. They really should hang some kind of large sign saying they are open.
Yup, walked in the door yesterday and talked to Bill, the new owner. Said he was not really completely ready as he was still establishing suppliers but yes burritos and donuts. Beer coolers were pretty full, some new tables in the main room and not a lot of shelf area. Interesting that Bill commented to me that poeple who had heard about his closing and possible opening from this forum had told him about it. Stop by and give him a try. He's battling Oxxo, every little bit helps. Tell him what you want to see there. He's open to suggestions.
Update..... Reggies is still open, still has the big burros and yes fresh donut dails. Now also offering Chinese food. Only 3 different items at this writing. Eat in or take out. Got one to go and it was very tasty, lots of it too. The take out is a nice option if you are in the Mirador.