Compadres Bar & Grill at Ward Centre will cease operations Friday night, in the wake of the economic downturn here and on the Mainland.

The Maui Compadres, at the Lahaina Cannery, quietly closed last weekend.

"All of the Compadres are closing," said Lisa Josephsohn, Hawai'i publicist for Compadres owner Rick Enos for two decades. "It's a sad day."

Citing rising operational costs and declining sales because of the soft economy, Enos decided to shutter his operations. His Compadres in Palo Alto and Oakland closed earlier this week, and he's terminating his tacorias in two ball parks.

Compadres, offering "Western cooking with a Mexican accent," has been a popular party destination for tacos, enchiladas, burritos, fried ice cream and margaritas — and Taco Tuesdays.

The newly opened Compadres Rio Grille, a separate corporation from Compadres Bar & Grill when it moved from Yountville to Napa, will continue to operate and still offer catering options for the Bay Area.

"We have been a family operation from our founding and it wasn't unusual for the kids to help out from the time they were little," said Enos in a statement. "We operated as a part of the community and are proud of the part we played to inspire others in the restaurant industry to get involved with major projects and to have food booths at charity events. Our employees typify the word 'compadre' and have always been ready to pitch in, smiles on their faces, to serve our margaritas and quesadillas from one side of the island to the other. We have opened our doors to those in need to do fundraisers, and always are first in line to provide gift certificates to auctions."

In its first decade at the Ward Centre, Compadres sponsored an annual chili cooking contest that fueled customer patronage.

Compadres has won local dining awards — The Advertiser's 'Ilima, Honolulu magazine's Hale Aina, and the Star-Bulletin & MidWeek Best of the Best.