Cooking up a deal
East Side Mario’s at Mayflower Mall to reopen under new ownership
More than 10 weeks after it closed without notice, the Italian restaurant East Side Mario’s is due to reopen soon under “new owners, new management and a fresh new look,” according to a notice posted to its Facebook page Monday.
Mike Kenny, owner of the Kenny’s Pizza franchise, confirmed Tuesday that he bought the East Side Mario’s franchise at the Mayflower Mall.
He said he wouldn’t be prepared to speak about acquiring the restaurant until after he attends meetings in Toronto next week.
The restaurant closed suddenly on April 13 under owner Ajay Virick.
The search for an East Side Mario’s franchisee in Sydney first began in 2007.
It opened in the mall two years later.
Kenny currently owns nine Kenny’s Pizza locations from Glace Bay to Antigonish.
He acknowledged in an interview with the Cape Breton Post in April that he was pursuing ownership of the franchise.
“There’s a lot of jobs there and we’d love to see them stay. It’s a good restaurant and it’s good for the area,” Kenny said at the time.
It’s not known when East Side Mario’s will reopen due to planned renovations, the restaurant stated in response to a Facebook comment on when it’ll be open for business again.
However, it is seeking appli- cations from people looking for work.
The restaurant is looking to hire a front-of-house manager and food and beverage wait staff.
A spokesperson for East Side Mario’s parent company, CARA, didn’t immediately respond to a request seeking comment on the deal, Tuesday.
According to East Side Mario’s website, opening a franchise costs — depending on whether it’s a retrofit or building a standalone structure — approximately $1.3 million to $1.6 million.
The amount of cash on-hand required by the franchisee must be $600,000 to $700,000, while the franchise fee is $60,000.