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Moes Southwest Grill will open a location in the Stateway Plaza, 1222 Arsenal St., this summer.
Workers will start renovating the 3,000-square-foot restaurant at the end of the plaza in about three weeks with the goal of opening by late August, said franchise partner Roger C. Wagner, who is leasing the space with two partners from M2R Management Group, Syracuse.
The family restaurant will feature a wide range of Southwestern cuisine, giving diners a chance to choose their own ingredients for burritos, tacos and quesadillas.
All of the food is natural and made fresh to order, said Mr. Wagner, a restaurateur whos been in the business for 20 years. And you pick all of the ingredients you want, from rice, mushrooms, peppers to guacamole.
Architectural plans for the restaurant, which will look similar to the traditional franchise model, are being developed by Aubertine & Currier Architects.
We plan to completely change the entire façade and install a tower at the end of the roof that will be visible from the road, said Mr. Wagner, who said the space was chosen for its high visibility and parking space. Were going to convert the outdoor storage area to a patio, install decorative fencing and add new entrances. Its going to look almost identical to the franchise model.
Touting the recent business growth on Arsenal Street, Mr. Wagner said the franchise group saw a niche for the spacious restaurant. About 25 to 30 employees are slated to be hired in the next 30 to 45 days.
There arent a lot of upscale cuisines in the area, and we think we have a good location right off the freeway, Mr. Wagner said. We think its a growing community with the energy around Fort Drum and whats going on in the community.
Another advantage of renovating the 3,000-square-foot location will be the large dining area. The restaurant, which will seat 90 to 100 diners, will be about 30 square feet larger than franchise models. Mr. Wagner said the franchise will save money by renovating the building instead of building a freestanding store, although he declined to say how much.
Our seating will be centered around family groups, and well have plenty of space, he said.
The restaurant will be located by Coldstone Creamery at Stateway Plaza, which is set to open by the end of the month. Other businesses at the plaza are CiCis Pizza, Aarons, Dollar General, the Gold Experts, Applied Health Center Chiropractor, Thrifty Shopper, Ollies Bargain Outlet, Planet Fitness and Rite Aid Discount Liquors.