It's a bittersweet week for Dan Garza, owner of Margarita's in Canton, which will serve its last meal this week.
The Hartford Courant reported last Thursday that the restaurant, which has been around since 1981, and was a pioneering Mexican eatery (along with La Boca here in Middletown) in the area, will shut it's doors, but that Dan Garza was considering opening a new place in Middletown.
"It's actually been a plan that's been around for seven or eight years," Garza said in a phone interview Monday. "I've been looking at places with Trevor Davis for that long. He's always got me in mind when a lease becomes available."
Garza was planning to partner with former educator Dexter Locker to open up a spot that would feature food along with music, and perhaps some theater. They had their eye on the old Capitol Theater, which has been shuttered for years. Unfortunately Locker died several months ago, and those plans of a partnership ended with Locker's death.
But Garza still has his eye on Middletown.
"Frankly, real estate in the Farmington Valley is much too expensive for a place like ours, and I'm pretty sure I could get a better lease in Middletown," Garza said. "Middletown's a good spot. Seven or eight years ago Trevor told me to watch what was going to happen to Middletown's Main Street. You wouldn't have believed it then, but look what happened."
For now, Garza is concentrating on closing down his successful cantina, and passing ownership to the people who, coincidentally, own Forbidden City, and Char Koon in Glastonbury.
"I'm looking at January and February," he said. "Those are the two toughest months in the restaurant business. And here, in Canton, I said, 'No way.' But I've always liked Middletown. We'll see what lies in the future."
6 comments:
It's great when people outside of Middletown see the potential of our riverside town.
It's also great when locals, like Trevor Davis, share their enthusiasm for Middletown.
Dear Ed,
"It's" is a contraction of "it is." The possessive adjective "its" has no apostrophe, although the confusion is understandable. But "it's" = it is.
This is for your information, not necessarily for publication.
A faithful reader.
It's a mistake I make often, and its grammatical roots haunt me.
Thanks for pointing it out, but really, it's something you should be able to get beyond.
Having lived nearby in Torrington, I have been to Margaritas several times. It was a fun place to go to with friends, and a well run operation. Glad to hear that the owner is eyeing Middletown, as it will increase the profile of our fair city as a dining destination.
The time has come, however, to upgrade the look of many stores and signage on Main Street, especially between Washington Street and Court Street. A lot of the architecture is charm free, and requires some work, along with some plantings. A pleasant streetscape would increase the chances of diners lingering a bit longer to visit stores.
Downtown Middletown is unusual. It is a non-wealthy active city center. The success needs to be coddled, and improvements need to happen, to sustain the fragile, but real positive business district.
We also need to re-connect to the River. What a wonderful resource for a city, and it languishes unused. Great use for "$timulus" Money.
Do a sense a attitude toward moving out public and moving in Margaritas? pay off anyone?
Middletown abandoned the river with the highway and leasing to Harbor Park owners Frank Maratta- stores on Main Street need to stop closing at 4 & 5 pm and stay open so people can actually shop!
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