La Neta Cocina y Lounge, the Mexican restaurant known for its deep tequila collection and modern spins on classic dishes, shut its doors this week after five years at Downtown Summerlin. The restaurant, located at 1770 Festival Plaza Drive, Suite 200, closed suddenly on Tuesday, leaving a hole in a shopping and dining district that has seen several closures in recent months.
81/82 Group Hospitality, the company behind La Neta, confirmed the closing in a statement issued Wednesday evening, as first reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “After 5 incredible years, we’ve made the difficult decision to close La Neta at Downtown Summerlin,” the company said, adding that it was proud of what it built at the restaurant and crediting an amazing team and incredible customers for the run.
The restaurant was created by Ryan Labbe and his company, 81/82 Group, which opened La Neta in the summer of 2021 by combining the former Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken space with an adjacent vacant unit, according to Eater Vegas. The buildout resulted in a 5,336-square-foot space, large enough to accommodate the brunches, dinners and, by the same account, some pretty wild parties that became part of the restaurant's identity over the years.
A Menu Built By Local Culinary Talent
Labbe brought on chef Israel Castro to create La Neta's menu, with Lanny Chin of The Slanted Door and Slurp Society fame signing on as a consultant, per the same Eater report. The restaurant became known for its modern interpretations of Mexican standards and for its extensive tequila collection, drawing patrons with a mix of shareable foods, creative sips and energetic music, the review-journal's dining section noted.
Neither 81/82 Group Hospitality nor the available reporting has identified a reason for the closure, and there is no word yet on whether a new tenant will take over the space.
Part Of A Wider Pattern At Downtown Summerlin
La Neta's exit adds to a growing list of restaurants that have closed at Downtown Summerlin, according to KTNV. Among the other recent departures from the shopping district, Brazilian steakhouse Fogo de Chao closed after a busy weekend, a shutdown that left about 40 employees without jobs, the station reported.
Financial adviser Mike PeQueen told KTNV that more openings and closings could happen in Downtown Summerlin as businesses search for the right balance in the market, a dynamic that appears to be playing out across the valley more broadly. Eater Vegas has tracked a string of closures across Las Vegas restaurants and bars through the first three months of 2026, identifying 12 noteworthy shutdowns by summer.
Other recent casualties include El Dorado Cantina, which suddenly shuttered its Summerlin location at Tivoli Village shortly after celebrating its 10-year anniversary, with no reason given by its owners, per Eater's closures tracker. Earl of Sandwich, meanwhile, closed its Palms food-court location in June while its Downtown Summerlin outpost and three others remained open, the same tracker noted — a reminder that even as some spots fold, others on the same patch of real estate are hanging on.
