Mez

Mez Contemporary Mexican is the latest venture of the locally owned and operated Chapel Hill Restaurant Group. The Award-winning group includes 411 West Italian Café, 518 West Italian Café, Squid's Seafood Restaurant and Oyster Bar and Spanky's Restaurant. Mez is located in the heart of the Triangle, just minutes from Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Durham and Cary off I-40 (Exit 282). Our menu features traditional Mexican recipes with a modern, healthy twist, and uses locally grown organic products whenever possible. Daily food and drink specials reflect the changing seasons and the skills of our talented staff.

Customers can choose to dine inside in our beautiful light-filled dining room, or outside on one of the area"s most comfortable and attractive patios. MEZ also offers a beautiful private room and balcony that can accommodate 80 to 100 people for business lunches, meetings, rehearsal dinners, or any other occasion. Off site catering is also available for groups of any size.

Our Mission

As with the entire Chapel Hill Restaurant Group, Mez strives to provide the value of quality service and outstanding food at an affordable price. We are committed to creating the best possible dining experience from our first contact with the guest through the end of the meal. We have also chosen to accomplish our goals sustainably, and we are proud of our efforts to become a leader in our industry. We were named "Sustainable Business of the Year" in 2007, we were the first Green Plus certified business in the United States, and MEZ was the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-designed restaurant in North Carolina.

Biographies

Jamie LaForce - General Manager / Partner

A native Ohioan and loyal Buckeye, Jamie has risen through the ranks to achieve the position of Managing Partner with the Chapel Hill Restaurant Group. He first worked as a server at Squid's Restaurant in Chapel Hill in 1997, and over the next three years, he waited, bartended, and served as Assistant Manager. In 2000, his personality and professionalism made him a natural choice to serve as General Manager, and Squid's enjoyed unparalleled success during his tenure. His ability to connect with both our customers and staff were rewarded when he was named Managing Partner at Mez. As an on-site owner of the business, Jamie is responsible for the day to day operations of the restaurant and he serves as our representative in the RTP and surrounding community.

Justin Cahuantzi - Floor Manager

Justin was hired as a server at Mez in early 2010. He rapidly worked his way up to bartender and then Bar Manager. The quality of his work and affable nature made him popular with management, staff and customers. He was offered the Floor Manager position in May of 2012. When not at work Justin spends time at home with his wife Sara and brand new baby Jack.

Aaron Stumb - Executive Chef

After graduating from the Wake Tech Culinary Program in 1996, Aaron worked at 411 West and 518 West. In 2002 he left to work for a national corporate restaurant group, and gained valuable experience in kitchen management. In 2004 Aaron returned to our group, and helped revitalize Spanky's, our restaurant in downtown Chapel Hill. In 2005, Aaron accepted the position of Executive Chef at Mez, and began researching recipes and techniques of Latin cuisine. A great part of the success enjoyed by Mez today is a tribute to both his knowledge of food and his managerial skills. Aaron is an Adjunct Faculty member at Wake Tech, where he teaches culinary classes, and he is also a popular instructor in the local Williams-Sonoma guest chef series.

Michael Barnes - Chef du Cuisine

Michael was born in Chapel Hill and attended culinary school at Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, where he received a degree in both Culinary Arts and Business Management. Michael joined the kitchen staff a few months after Mez opened and became a Sous Chef within a year. He left to work at Spanky's as a Sous Chef from March of 2011until returning to Mez in May of 2012. Along the way he has demonstrated an ability to create simple flavorful dishes and will take over as Chef du Cuisine at Mez when Jeff Robinson leaves to become Executive Chef at Page Road Grill.

Jayme Rhodes - Event Planner

Jayme graduated in 2000 with a degree in Business and Finance from NC State. Throughout her college years she served as food manager for a local café and worked for a catering company planning events and assisting in the kitchen. After graduating, she joined the kitchen staff at 518 West while earning her real estate license. Jayme has nine years of real estate sales experience and brings twelve years of event planning and catering experience to The Chapel Hill Restaurant Group. Her organizational skills, creativity and winning personality have been a wonderful addition to the MEZ management team.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

• Location: Mez Contemporary Mexican
  5410 Page Road, Suite 8
  Durham, NC 27703
  
  Website: www.mezdurham.com
  Phone: (919) 941-1630
  Email: mez@mezdurham.com
  
  
• Payment: MC, Visa, AMEX, Diners, Cash
• Average Price: Lunch - $10 / Dinner - $20
• Reservations: Accepted by phone (919) 941-1630 / OpenTable
• Other Information:
  • Dress Code: Casual
  • Full ABC permits
  • Parking: Plenty of free, onsite parking
  • Patio: Yes
  • Private Dining: Yes
  • Large Parties: Yes
  • Off Premise Catering: Yes
  • Delivery: For large groups. See Catering
  • Take Out: Yes
  • Split Checks: Yes
  • Wheel Chair Accessible: Yes
  • Smoking: Outside, 25 feet from Doors
  • Gift Cards: Available for purchase during business hours at Mez, or anytime Online