Munchies Snacks, the fusion eatery by El Rey restauranteur siblings Ramiro and Patty Galvan, is now closed.
The owners announced the restaurant would be “immediate closing,” Wednesday, on its Facebook page.
“This decision was not made lightly, and it comes with a profound sense of gratitude for the incredible journey we have shared with each of you,” the social media post reads, going on to say, “While this chapter may be coming to a close, we are excited about what lies ahead. We hope you will join us on our next adventure, wherever it may lead.”
Munchies Snacks, located in Martinez’s West Town shopping center on 3830 Washington Road, was the second iteration of Munchies Lab, a restaurant concept based on the unconventional blending of various cuisine styles and flavor profiles.
The Galvans opened Munchies Lab in the summer of 2022, on Walton Way across the street from the Augusta courthouse. There it enjoyed a niche following of regulars, but sparse business and a desire to expand to a larger space led to its closing in the fall of 2023.
The latest version, which opened in March of last year, was a snack shop fusing myriad bite-sized sweet and savory pastries, lunch dishes and desserts. This adaptation of the Munchies brand, however, did not fare as well.
“Honestly, we were not really making it there,” said Ramiro Galvan, noting that he has had plans to close Munchies Snacks as early as the past November, but kept operations to avoid abruptly letting go of employees. “It was not really profitable… We were making some sales, but I guess because of the name that we had, people were expecting the food, not just the snacks. So it was a little hard for us.”
The other restaurants in the El Rey Restaurant Group—Mexican spots Taqueria El Rey and La Cocina Del Rey—are still doing well, Galvan says, and they still have the West Town space under contract for another two years.
This is still not the end of the Munchies brand, said Galvan, as he hopes to find yet another larger space, complete with a bar area, where he can continue the fusion concept and also serve alcohol.
“It’s one of my dreams, you know, to be able to play in the kitchen,” he said. “Munchies Lab was the best thing for it, because I was able to create whatever I wanted it and just put in flavors together and everything. So, yeah, hopefully we get to reopen it soon.”
Skyler Andrews is a reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
