By Susan Post
View the original article on Columbus Underground website Here
A new restaurant and lounge will make its debut Downtown this fall. Atlanta-based Esco Restaurant & Tapas will open its first Ohio location at 31 E. Gay St., the former home of Pub Mahone which closed at the end of March.
Akron-based entrepreneur Jessica Kay is the owner and operator of the franchise, which will be the brand’s third location nationwide and first outside of Georgia.
Started and owned by Tauheed “2 Chainz” Epps and Mychel “Snoop” Dillard, Esco Restaurant & Tapas first opened its doors in Atlanta in 2016 and has since expanded with a second location, and additional concept, Esco Seafood. The restaurateurs first offered franchising opportunities for Esco Restaurant & Tapas earlier this year, and Kay sees it as an ideal opportunity to make the long-awaited jump into the restaurant industry.
Kay launched her own home care business 15 years ago and earned her Master’s in business management in 2018. In a career that has always been entrepreneurially-minded and focused on diversifying her streams of income, “One of my goals was to open up a restaurant lounge type place,” Kay says.
She’d visited Esco on trips to Atlanta and enjoyed her experience – and the price was right for the franchise. Although based in Akron, Kay thought the concept would be a better fit in a bigger city, looking at both Cleveland and Columbus before landing on Central Ohio.
The shell of Pub Mahone provides what Kay calls the perfect location for Esco. Previously serving as a bar and restaurant, the space needs minimal renovations. Kay is also drawn to Gay Street’s vibrancy and location – from its markets, to the surrounding residents, and amenities like hotels.
Kay says Esco will have a swanky vibe with good food and good music where everyone is welcome. It will also be an all-day affair, serving lunch starting at 11 a.m., through happy hour and dinner service, into late-night hours. An area for Hookah and reservations for bottle service are also in the mix.
Esco’s food menu features a mash-up of bar food favorites, along with seafood and some southern-style cuisine – everything from chicken wings and burgers, to crab cakes, salmon croquettes and lamb chops, with sides like mac & cheese, greens and yams. The kitchen will serve up Esco’s core menu, along with some dishes that are unique to the Columbus location.
Beer, wine and cocktails are represented in the drinks department. Kay describes the drinks menu as flavorful and diverse – classics for those who want them, and something a little wilder for those that are after something new.
Work is underway on the space, with the restaurant and bar slated for a late November opening.
Esco will kick things off with hours seven days a week, opening at 11 a.m. and closing at 1 a.m. on the weekdays and 2 a.m. on the weekends.
For more information, visit escobaratlanta.com.