New retail and restaurant investments coming to Reynosa and Río Bravo

REYNOSA, Tamaulipas — Commercial investment continues gaining momentum across Reynosa and neighboring Río Bravo, where national retailers, franchise operators and locally owned businesses are expanding their footprint through new stores, restaurant projects, and specialty concepts.

The latest addition is a new AutoZone store on Morelos Boulevard, across from the Petróleos Mexicanos refinery. The new location increases the automotive retailer’s presence to eight locations in Reynosa and 41 across Tamaulipas, according to the company’s official store directory.

The opening is part of AutoZone’s broader expansion strategy in Mexico, where the company operates more than 800 stores supported by two distribution centers in Nuevo León and Hidalgo and a workforce of nearly 12,000 employees.

“We officially opened this location just one week ago,” store manager Edgar Flores told the Rio Grande Valley Business Journal this week. 

Corporate representatives declined to disclose the investment amount, building size, land area or employment figures for the project, saying those details are managed by the company’s corporate development offices. 

Restaurants and local businesses continue growing

The AutoZone opening is one of several commercial projects completed or underway across the region.

On Reynosa’s west side, Little Caesars recently opened a new restaurant in Villa Diamante, bringing the pizza chain to at least 14 locations in the city. Residents in Villa Diamante will soon also be able to shop at two major retailers: Coppel and TODO TODO. 

Meanwhile, Reynosa-based Chili Wings expanded its longtime restaurant on Morelos Boulevard to increase seating capacity. The locally owned business has operated for more than 20 years and helped introduce the sports bar-style chicken wing concept to Reynosa and surrounding communities.

Commercial growth is also reaching neighboring Río Bravo.

Divine Intervention Coffee is developing its first brick-and-mortar café after launching as an online specialty coffee business in the United States in 2025. The project, now about 70% complete, will feature dedicated areas for community gatherings, remote work and cultural programming, according to its founders.

Restaurant industry reports continued recovery

The recent projects align with broader trends reported by the Reynosa chapter of the National Chamber of the Restaurant and Seasoned Food Industry, or CANIRAC.

During the first quarter of the year, CANIRAC President Juan Carlos Gutiérrez Lugo said the city’s restaurant industry continued recovering, supported by consumer spending, the opening of new establishments, and the addition of new chamber members.

The organization estimates that between 60% and 70% of Reynosa’s restaurants are locally owned businesses, while franchises account for the remaining 30% to 40%.