More Local Restaurants Getting Ready To Reopen

Last week we told you about the return of Lebanese Kitchen in 2015 and this week two former restaurants in Fall River are talking reopening plans too.

Sagres Restaurant on Columbia St and Mesa 21 on Lindsay St were both victims of fires that gutted the buildings and shut down the businesses, but this year both owners plan to get back to serving residents delicious food.

Sagres has been closed since the summer of 2013, but this past November posted a ton of pictures on Facebook of their building's construction process. Now manager Victor DaSilva tells the Herald News that

In about a month, [we] should know our timetable. We should have a good idea then when we can open.”

Sagres was Fall River's first Portuguese restaurant and they plan to come back better than ever. The new building will have seating for 85 patrons in the restaurant plus a banquet room that will seat 100. There will also be an outdoor deck over Columbia St for enjoying when the weather gets warm.

DaSilva added that the menu and the service will be unchanged after many customers called to make sure Sagres stayed Sagres.

Mesa 21 has not been closed for nearly as long, suffering their devastating fire last May. Still the remodel has been a long time coming, since they building was pretty much foundation once the fire was over.

Mesa 21 will also remain what it always was, a casual American bistro and pizza restaurant. Peter Sousa, who runs Mesa 21 with his brother Dan, says they are hoping to reopen in February.

They've already got their new pizza oven from California, which they posted photos of on Facebook just before the holidays. Sousa says the plan is to be "more efficient" making "two- to four-minute pizzas."

Both Fall River restaurants could have solid reopening dates by the end of this month.