Tex Mex Bar and Grill is expected to open in Midtown next month following construction and money delays.

Co-owner Mike Keolanui and partners postponed opening the spinoff of his downtown Texas Mexican Restaurant after finding electrical, plumbing and other problems during renovation work inside a 50-year-old building at 2326 J St.

Tex Mex had been expected to start offering Texas-style cuisine with a Latin twist three months ago. The space had most recently held Toreros, but Taco Loco had operated there for years.

Work was halted until two weeks ago so the partners could focus on opening their two other new restaurants, Bulls in Sacramento and El Dorado Saloon in El Dorado Hills, this summer. They did that to create a cash flow for Tex Mex construction at a time when banks aren't lending to restaurants, Keolanui said.

"The building is old. It needed to have a tremendous amount of work done inside it — more than we expected," he said. "We had to raise more money to fix it."

They plan to open a fifth restaurant in Davis in December.

"Even though we're ambitious and we wanted to get them all open at once, you have to channel your income," Keolanui said.

Crews have been renovating the space to create a modern vibe with a hint of rusticity. A tequila tower back bar and flat screen TVs must still be installed behind a bar built out of recycled beer bottles.

"It'll definitely be an edgy little Mexican restaurant," he said.

They've built wheelchair-accessible bathrooms. Booths must be installed. The restaurant must pass a final building inspection and health inspection before opening.

The restaurant's hours will be 8 a.m.-midnight Sundays through Thursdays, and until 1 a.m. on weekends.

They will be hiring 35 people to work at the restaurant. Keolanui said they hope to have a soft opening Aug. 10, but that could be later. No grand opening is planned.

"The soft opening is supposed to be like a few people come in, you get your feet wet, and gradually more and more people start coming," he said. "But now, when you put out the open sign, everybody texts and tweets and it's all over."

Photos by Brandon Darnell.