There’s a new restaurant opening in town, and the name says it all. Margarita’s Restaurant Grill is opening behind McKenzie Motors off of Dogwood Drive in Milton serving up Mexican food, spirits and of course, more jobs for the area. Thursday, owner Oswaldo Vasquez is hiring for his new restaurant from 4 to 6 p.m. at the restaurant. He plans to employ at least ten, with the potential of hiring more in the future. Vasquez said the restaurant should be open some time at the beginning of November. The restaurant, formerly Monterrey’s Mexican Restaurant has sat vacant for years. Vasquez had the building inspection done on Wednesday. But before that could even happen, he had to do almost three months worth of renovations including installing a new roof. Vasquez saw the location and thought it would be a perfect spot to put a Mexican Restaurant that also serves many forms of American foods including sandwiches and pasta. “It’s a great location and it’s in the right spot, “ Vasquez said. “It’s close to Gulf Power, and right next to Whiting Field. “It has a lot of opportunity, I think.” Originally from Mexico, Vasquez has over 12 years experience in the Mexican restaurant business. “All of what I make is made fresh daily,” Vasquez said. “We will have a lot of different foods including burgers, sandwiches, and other kinds of American food.” The building is roughly 4,500 square ft., but only about half of that is being utilized as a restaurant. Vasquez said he is already working on building the second addition to his building, which is a full size bar. “It has a whole new look inside, and it’s a very nice and clean place,” Vasquez said. “We will have a full liquor bar and we also want people to enjoy the restaurant.” Vasquez said that the new restaurant would offer two-for-one deals on drinks six days a week all day long. Vasquez, a member of the Santa Rosa County Chamber of Commerce, said he enjoys the area because of its small town feel and the hard working people in the community. He said this is why he chose to open the restaurant in Milton. “I come from a small town in Mexico, and people were like this there…very helpful,” Vasquez said. “I really appreciate everyone helping me in this process and giving me this opportunity.” Vasquez said he didn’t know how long it would take to open up the bar portion of the building, but said that for now, he will have a small bar inside the restaurant open for guests.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Restaurant opens doors, opportunities for the area