Popular Gulfport restaurant closes its doors

A popular Mexican restaurant in downtown Gulfport has closed its doors for good.

Owner Mercedes Carranza posted on the restaurant’s Facebook page today that the restaurant is closing. A sign on the locked doors of the eatery on Highway 49 also said the restaurant had closed.

Carranza said in the post: “We are so grateful to all of you who have supported us over the last nine years. We will miss all the wonderful people who became a part of our extended El Agave family.”

Carranza moved to the Coast from California. He managed El Maguey on the beach in Gulfport until Hurricane Katrina destroyed the building in 2005.

He opened El Agave in 2013 and along with his family and a loyal staff, served Mexican cuisine until the restaurant closed this week.