“We are getting close to being able to set an opening date,” Hemmert said. He expects to hire about 75 people total and is looking primarily for back-of-the-house employees such as cooks. To apply, go to the Elsa’s Mexican Restaurant Facebook page.
Hemmert said in early December that Elsa’s would be taking over the 4,500-square-foot space at 774 N. Main St. and its 1,200-square-foot patio. The tenant space was vacated a year ago by Buffalo Wild Wings as that chain was putting the finishing touches on its new restaurant in the Austin Landing development.
“We have, for a long, long time, wanted to get down into the Springboro area, and more specifically, we really wanted to get into the city of Springboro,” Hemmert said in December.
“When we heard Buffalo Wild Wings was vacating that spot, we were shocked, and we targeted it because of it being a very successful restaurant in a great location, in a great neighborhood, and within the City of Springboro. We want Springboro residents to feel that this is their place — their family’s restaurant, their favorite hangout, their happy hour, and their team spot before, during and after sporting events.”
The three partners in the venture include Hemmert, Jason Day and Chris Sparaco, who combined have more than 65 years of experience in the Elsa’s system, Hemmert said. Elsa’s first applied for a liquor license in the now-former BW3 space in June 2018, anticipating a subsequent lease.
Early plans call for a cantina-style restaurant similar to the Elsa’s Corner Cantina off Wilmington Pike in Sugarcreek Twp. “It is set up for awesome sports viewing and will have a varied menu of ‘our’ Mexican food, as well as wings, pizza, and sandwiches,” Hemmert said.
.Elsa’s operates five restaurants and sports bars in and around Dayton: the original location (founded in 1945) on Linden Avenue in Dayton; on Wilmington Avenue in Dayton; on Far Hills Avenue in Centerville; on East Stroop Road in Kettering; and the most recent addition, the “Corner Cantina” location in Sugarcreek Twp., which opened in July 2018.
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