PAUL GIORGIO

NOT YOUR AVERAGE MEXICAN. Torito Mexican Restaurant opened last month in Westboro, in a space on Route 9 that once was home to Not Your Average Joes. The small chain also has a location in Worcester’s Lincoln Plaza.

HOOK, LINE, AND SINKER. The Hook & Reel seafood restaurant in Lincoln Plaza, which opened in December 2019, recently pulled up its line and has closed.

NOT REALLY LOCAL. Holden’s The Local, owned by the Viapiano Family, has closed its doors and been sold. The restaurant had been in the family for a while under different names. Prior to being the Local it was Flop Flops, and before that Al fresco, all owned by the Viapianos. They will be opening a food truck/catering venture.

THAI THIS. Thai House of Holden recently opened at the site of The Local in Holden. They also own Brown Rice and four other Thai Restaurants in Central Mass which include Thai Time, Rice Violet in Worcester, and Thai & I in Shrewsbury.

MORE SUSHI? Wilson Wang, owner of Baba Sushi on Park Ave in Worcester, has bought three parcels on Shrewsbury Street including Di Gio Auto Body. There have been no plans announced for the property. We also hear that Wang purchased the old Living Earth space on Park Ave & Chandler Street in the city.

TIME TO RISE UP. Elizabeth (Betty) Casey has sold her business, On the Rise Baking, to employees Mara and Amy Mahoney, both of Worcester. The women, who are sisters, bought the bakery earlier this month when Casey sold it after 28 years as owner and pastry chef.

THE LOST RESTAURANT OF ATLANTIS. Worcester Public Market’s Atlantis Raw Bar should be opening soon according to sources. It was expected to open the first week of January. The raw bar will offer oysters, lobster, caviar, and other items with a menu that changes daily.

IT HAS A NAME. Castle Cantina is the name of the new Spanish Restaurant going into the space that was home to the Castle Restaurant for a very long time.

AROUND THE CORNER. Oishi Japanese Restaurant will be temporarily closed as they are in the process of relocating into a bigger and better space at 422 Main Street in Worcester.

UNION STATION TO GET A NEW RESTAURANT. It looks like a new restaurant will be moving into space on the first floor of Union Station. The restaurant, according to the owners, “will be like the old El Morocco” which was a long-time fixture on Worcester’s Wall Street. Diane Louise, formerly of LeMirage, will be the chef.

Z CAFÉ TO CLOSE. After 14 years in business, the Z Café in Downtown Worcester will be turning off the lights due to the Covid 19 Pandemic. According to the owners, there just isn’t enough of a lunchtime crowd downtown any longe