Garansuay: Weslaco's national franchise restaurants are among the busiest in U.S.

WESLACO, Texas - Weslaco’s restaurants are being frequented much more often than might be expected.In fact, pro rata, some national franchise eateries in the city are among the busiest in the whole United States. One explanation could be that there are not enough restaurants in the city, forcing local residents to visit them over and over again. Another possibility is that Weslaco is pulling in a lot of customers from neighboring communities. A third reason? Maybe the people of Weslaco eat more. These and other possibilities were discussed during a recent bus tour of Weslaco by the Rio Grande Valley Partnership. The Valley’s regional chamber of commerce organizes a trip to a different Valley city each month. Those attending the Commercial and Investment Tours include realtors, developers and economic development leaders.Prior to the bus tour, the City of Weslaco and Weslaco Economic Development Corporation hosted panel discussions. The expert that discussed the local restaurant scene was Craig Garansuay, of the brokerage firm Corporate Asset Partners.“Weslaco works because it is a real city,” Garansuay said. “There is a medical community, you have residential growth, you’ve got airports, education, high schools, college, trade.”Garansuay said Weslaco has “all of the ingredients” needed to build a thriving community.“Retail follows the rooftops, industrial brings the rooftops. And so you have got the culmination of all those ingredients coming together to create a hub for the Mid-Valley.”Editor's Note: To read the full story go to the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service's website. Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.