Tom’s Oyster Bar to take over Mesa Tacos and Tequila in downtown
Support from customers, city help eatery overcome pandemic challenges
Despite challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the owners of Tom’s Oyster Bar in downtown Royal Oak have a good appetite for the restaurant businesses and are buying the nearby Mesa Tacos and Tequila.
Tom’s Oyster Bar opened in Royal Oak in 2011 at 318 S. Main. Several years later the owners added their sister restaurant, Ale Mary’s Beer Hall, next door. Now they are getting ready to take over Mesa at 312 S. Main Street, next door to Ale Mary’s.
“No, we’re not taking over the block,” joked Nick Ritts, CEO of the restaurant group. “We’ve been working on this for a few months. We think Mesa is a great place and we’ve had our eye on it for a long time.”
Support from customers and the city has helped.
“We wish (the pandemic) would all go away,” Ritts said. “But we’re doing OK. Mesa is doing great, even more so than last year.”
Michael Sophiea, owner of
Mesa, is getting ready to open a new restaurant bar at the site of the shuttered Town Tavern, 116 W. Fourth Street. Earlier this month he got approval for a plan of operation at his new restaurant from the City Commission, a requirement for transferring a liquor license.
Mesa opened in 2015. Before that it was the site of the Monterrey Cantina, which was open for 22 years.
“We’re going to keep everything the same at Mesa, but we’re going to add some things,” Ritts said. “At Ale Mary’s people drive across town for our vegan comfort food. Mesa does some vegan and we’re going to expand on that.”
Ale Mary’s has a vegan version of it’s four-pound BurritoZilla dish that may be a natural fit at Mesa, he added.
Ritts and his father, Ronald Ritts, own the restaurants in Royal Oak as well as Terry’s Terrace in Harrison Township.
The City Commission on Monday will vote on whether to approve Ritts’ new plan of operation at Mesa, which is necessary for the transfer of the Mesa liquor license. The Michigan Liquor Control Commission no longer requires local approval for transfer of liquor license ownership.
All such transfers in Royal Oak are reviewed by the police department for the business’s plan of operation.
Royal Oak police Lt. Keith Spencer reviewed and wrote a report about the new ownership and operations for Mesa.
Police have no objections to the changes.
Ritts is buying the Mesa name, liquor license, furniture, fixtures and equipment from Sophiea’s MLS Hospitality, LLC for $300,000, Spencer said in his report.
Ritts is also seeking permits for Sunday alcohol sales, entertainment, and an outdoor service area on public property for 24 patrons. Entertainment would be an occasional band or DJ, or a live magician, comedian or mariachi band.
There are about 3,000 square feet of usable space inside Mesa, which currently has seating for 144.
Under new state COVID-19 restrictions that went into effect Wednesday, no indoor dining is allowed at bars and restaurants, which have been getting by on takeout and outdoor dining in Royal Oak.
Though the pandemic continues, Ritts said he is optimistic about the future for downtown restaurants, especially since a COVID-19 vaccine is reportedly on the horizon.
“Come next spring and summer, I think we are going to see some of the best times we’ve ever had here,” he said.