Paul Giorgio

From Burgers to Chicken parm.
It looks like the old Wild Willy’s Burgers on Worcester’s West Boylston Street will become an Italian Restaurant. No word on the opening date or the name.

A thousand thank you’s.
Worcester’s O’Connor’s Restaurant is Massachusetts’ favorite Irish Restaurant & Bar. It was chosen in a Taste of Massachusetts online poll with votes from over 25 percent of the 4,000 votes cast.

If it’s not a bubble bath it must be bubble tea.
The Bubble Tea craze continues in Worcester with the recent opening of a tea house at 24 Southbridge St., adjacent to the Hanover Theatre. Owned by Jason and Hannah Vuong, the Gong Cha franchise is anxiously awaiting the re-opening of the theater.

That was a short reign.
Reign Cafe, a coffee place that partnered with Glazy Susan donuts will be moving out of the DCU Center. With the DCU closed, business was obviously lacking.

New African restaurant opens in Webster Square. Anokye Krom, recently opened its doors in the Cow Plaza on Park Ave. This is their second location in Worcester, the first being on Millbury Street. They specialize in Ghanaian food.

Nuestra closes temporarily.
Nuestra, a restaurant serving Puerto Rican cuisine in Worcester, announced in April it would be temporarily closing due to COVID-19. Owner Natalie Rodriguez said, ‘We can’t keep continuing to lose money each week.”

An immigrant success story.
Taqueria Del Pueblo, a popular vendor at the Worcester Public Market, is expanding to a second location. The Mexican restaurant will be opening at 57 Highland St. The new space will be larger than its area in the Worcester Public Market and includes sit-down dining. The restaurant was opened by Raquel Zelayandia and her parents, who came to the United States from El Salvador about 30 years ago. She and her brother were born in Worcester

More Mexican.
Torito Mexican Restaurant will soon open in Worcester’s Lincoln Plaza, which has become a mini food hub in the city, with several eateries located there.

Opening a third place.
Roger Bachour who owns Whiskey on Main and the Boardroom in the Canal District is planning on opening a dessert bar on Worcester’s Shrewsbury Street. Café Merki has plans to take over the space that most recently housed the Dark Rose Saloon and formerly was home to Jeff’s.

Change of leadership.
After more than four decades running three of Worcester’s best-known restaurants —The Sole Proprietor, Via Italian Table and One Eleven Chop House — Robb and Madeleine Ahlquist are ready to pass management of the group to the next generation. Their daughter, Caitlyn Carolan, and her husband, Keith, are taking over the Worcester Restaurant Group.

More of Frankie in the offering.
I love Frankie’s Pizza Owner Frank Abbatecola has seemingly mastered the hand-tossed New York-style 24-inch pizza. The small pizza shop on Vernon Hill has barely had a moment to breathe since opening its doors in January. Now Frankie is talking about opening more locations. While we hear he makes a great pizza-he has trouble getting it to customers, which may be an issue.