Former Tower Club GM to lead 150-employee Cantina Laredo

Former Tower Club General Manager Jeff Anderson has been tapped to manage south-side restaurant Cantina Laredo, a Dallas-based Mexican food chain whose Springfield franchisee plans to employ 150 for an expected September opening.

Anderson led The Tower Club, operated by John Q. Hammons Industries, for about 22 years before leaving the downtown Springfield restaurant and event venue in late 2012.

“I am excited about this new opportunity and look forward to seeing familiar faces at Cantina Laredo when we open," Anderson said in a news release.

Springfield restaurateur Steve Heil is opening the franchise restaurant via CL Springfield LLC. He said the 4109 S. National Ave. restaurant - the former site of his Springfield Pasta Co. concept - is modeled after the closest Cantina Laredo franchise at Branson Landing.

"Springfield has been underserved for modern Mexican food and we aim to meet this demand," Heil said in the release.

Heil had operated Springfield Pasta Co. at the south Springfield spot before closing it Jan. 13. The restructured restaurant came about after Heil split from Italian cuisine franchise Pasta House Co. of St. Louis, letting his 25-year contract with the company lapse in January 2011. Heil also operates Italian restaurant franchise Florentina’s Ristorante Italiano at Battlefield Marketplace, 900 E. Battlefield Road,  which he opened early this year, according to Springfield Business Journal archives.

Construction Processing Co. is leading construction on the roughly $2.5 million, 8,700-square-foot Springfield Cantina Laredo franchise.