Flamingo’s Closing: The End of an Amarillo Restaurant Legacy

It's been an interesting year for restaurants in Amarillo. Many have closed their doors due to fewer people going out to eat, rising food costs, and property costs going up as well. On the flipside, we've seen a lot of new restaurants open their doors.

30+ restaurants have opened this year with more on the way, but it seems like each time a new one opens, an older one closes its doors. Well, August 24 is the opening of Ocean Buffet in Amarillo, but not before another restaurant calls it a day.

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Vibrant Restaurant Shuts Their Doors

Sad news yesterday when the news came out from the Perez family, as we found out an Amarillo favorite was closing its doors. Flamingo's Latin Bar & Grill posted on Facebook that it was time to shut the doors.

Now, this closing is a bit different from many we've seen this year, as it wasn't necessarily due to the costs of operating a restaurant these days or a lack of customers. Gerardo and Maria Perez have decided it's time to slow down and retire, and for that, we can certainly accept the closing a little bit easier.

Rich History in Amarillo

Flamingo's opened back in 2020 as a joint venture with their son, Eric. They offered a Latin American, Caribbean, and Mexican-style menu, with some options you couldn't find at many, if any, restaurants in Amarillo. Something different was needed.

However, their journey didn't begin with Flamingo's. It began back in the day with El Patio, and many people frequented this restaurant. It was a generational place where parents took their kids, then when the kids grew up, they took their kids. The history and memories will live on forever there.

We wish the Perezes happiness and health in their retirement, but we will miss you!