North Edmonton eatery faces challenge of restoring a ruined restaurant

When a restaurant fails its health inspections, falls into disrepair and is forced to close its doors, what can be done with what’s left behind?

That was the question Angelica Cruz was left to answer when she signed a lease to open La Morenita, a traditional Mexican restaurant that serves flan, churro cheesecake, and, of course, tacos.

“I liked the challenge,” she said.

While her new eatery — which opened in June last year — is slowly becoming a community hub and has gained some rave reviews, the building’s history on Alberta Avenue continues to haunt her and scare away customers.

It used to be called the Ming Kee Bar. The inner-city sports bar earned a 2.6 rating on Google Reviews, with customers calling it “scary” and “terrible.”

Before it closed, the bar was filthy and had a cockro