Ric's Place, St. Maarten's Great Tex-Mex Cafe & Sports Bar

About Ric's Place

The Story of How Ric's Place Came to Be

Lagoon side of Airport Road just west of Simpson Bay drawbridge, St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles

"Wouldn't it be neat to have a small neighborhood bar on an island someday?"

During the 1970s, a young couple from Dallas, Texas visited the Caribbean for the first time. While having a morning coffee, looking at the beauty of the island, beaches and beautiful clear water, Kathy said to Ric, "Wouldn't it be neat to have a small neighborhood bar on an island someday?"

The dream was born …. and then nurtured for years until the time was right for the Hetzels to quit their jobs, pack up their belongings and relocate to St. Maarten.

On June 1, 1990, Ric and Kathy Hetzel opened Ric's Place in the “Old Street” mall off of Front Street, Philipsburg. The goal was -- and still is -- to provide an excellent product with great service at a reasonable price.

In May of 1993 Ric's Place relocated to the Great Bay side of Front Street, just a few feet west of the center of downtown Philipsburg.

After suffering damage caused by several hurricanes in 1999, Ric's relocated to its current home on the lagoon side of Airport Road near the Simpson Bay drawbridge.

In early 2004, the Hetzel's began searching for a new owner, someone who loved Ric's Place just as much as they do.

Friends of the Hetzels and regular customers of Ric's since its Old Street days, the Lopez Family purchased Ric's in August 2004 and relocated to St. Maarten from Madera, California.

The Lopez family thought: "Ric's Place has always been one of our favorite St. Maarten restaurants. We love it for the same reason you do -- the food, the friendliness, the relaxed surroundings -- it's someplace where we've always felt at home while we're away. Ric and Kathy worked very hard to make that happen, and when we heard they were looking to retire, we decided -- why not us?"

With Tamara at the helm, Ric's Place is guaranteed to be around for a long time to come. With plenty of space inside and plenty of room for parking outside, plus the same great menu, service, ambiance, and sports-tuned TVs, Ric's is easy to get to and fun to visit, day and night. Come see us soon for a delicious taste of home.

Updated July 27, 2006

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