Editor’s note: Greenfield NOW reports on opening date for El Beso for February 2011.

Editor’s note: Check out this photo update from Oct. 25, 2010.

Champp’s, a sports bar and restaurant in Greenfield, Wis., closed May 22, 2010. Now, work is progressing on the latest restaurant to hit 5030 S. 74th St.

The owners of El Fuego on Layton Ave. on Milwaukee’s southside will open El Beso Mexican Restaurante and Cantina. Work on the facade is going on right now to transform the sports bar into a tropical oasis. It will be the first Mexican restaurant in the Southridge Shopping Center area since Chi Chi’s closed its doors in 2004. Before Champp’s opened the location was home to a Fuddrucker’s restaurant, famous for their burgers and toppings bar.

Paul Bouraxis, the owner of El Fuego Mexican Restaurante, told BizTimes Milwaukee, “(The area) has a lot of shops,” he said. “It’s heavily populated. It’s a good location.” Bouraxis also owns Omega Burger on S. 27th St. in Franklin, Wis. He previously owned Omega Restaurant on S. 27th St. in Milwaukee.

El Beso will have an outdoor patio, fountain and palm trees. The new building has bright colors and livens up the strip mall scene nearby that includes David’s Bridal, Half Price Books and Old Country Buffet.

If we can foreshadow anything about the menu at the future El Beso Restaurante and Cantina, its sister El Fuego has a menu that includes the standard Mexican fare such as tacos, fajitas, homemade guacamole and frozen libations. Check out more about El Fuego at www.elfuegomke.com.

Just in case you need a place to catch the Packers vs. the Bears tonight, Champp’s still operates a location on S. Moorland Road in Brookfield.