Published in the June 22, 2017 edition
By BILL LAFORME
NORTH READING – A new Mexican style restaurant is set to open later this fall in the spot most recently occupied by the Great American Tavern on Route 28.
Selectmen Monday night voted to approve the transfer of the common victualler and all-alcohol licenses previously held by the Great American Tavern to the new restaurant, Dos Lobos, at their meeting on Monday night.
Dos Lobos will be the latest restaurant from the owners of Joe Fish, which has two locations in North Andover and North Reading, as well as a separate North Andover restaurant, The Loft. Jim Dietz Jr., a manager with the company, explained to selectmen that the new restaurant will be themed as a Southwestern taqueria and tequila bar, with an emphasis on tasting tequilas, and no shots or shot glasses in the establishment. The place would also reportedly close down around 11 or somewhat later to further steer its image away from that of a tequila bar, Dietz told the selectmen, adding that the place would be a sit-down restaurant complete with a kids’ menu.
Dietz also said the new establishment would keep the door open to live entertainment, but as of Monday, the restaurant did not have any specific plans for it. The restaurant will accommodate about 200 people, along with a patio that may provide outdoor dining at some later point.
Providing a timeline for the new restaurant, Dietz added that the transaction on the building at 303 Main Street is expected to close on July 15. From there, renovations will begin and last until about August, when staff training would begin with an eye on an opening around mid-September or October.
