Now that Gil Martinez finally owns his own restaurant, he’s determined to make the most of it.
Don Tito’s Mexican Grill, one of the most highly anticipated new businesses in Dracut in recent memory, opened on June 15 at 34 Broadway Road, former home of Blue Angus Café.
Dracut Economic Development held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 22 to welcome Gil and his wife, Monica Torres, to town.
“I’m going to be a hands-on owner. I want to meet every single customer,” Gil says.
That might prove difficult, as Don Tito’s has been steadily packed to the gills (pardon the pun) since it opened.
Both Gil and Monica worked in restaurant management before they followed different career paths. But they decided to retire from those jobs and return to their first love.
“I wanted to get back into what I’m passionate about – the restaurant business,” Gil says. “I have many friends who own Mexican restaurants, and I just felt like getting back into the restaurant business. Something was telling me to get back into the grind.
“I wanted to have Mexican cuisine, and I wanted to do it here in Dracut,” he adds. “I felt there was a need for different cuisines here. A Mexican restaurant has been kind of a dream for me – to have my own place. I’m going to build my brand here and then look for a second location. This is just the start.”
But who’s Don Tito? Turns out Gil doesn’t know anybody by that name. He simply liked the sound of it and felt it was easy enough for people to remember.
“I wanted something simple, something easy to pronounce and easy to remember, so Don Tito’s. Simple.”
Upon entering Don Tito’s Mexican Grill, folks are first struck by the mural taking up one wall and featuring Tom Brady, David “Big Papi” Ortiz and Dos Equis beer’s “Most Interesting Man,” with features of the Lowell and Boston skylines. Once people start eating, though, all eyes are on the food.
“My only goal is for people to come in and have a great experience and enjoy our food,” Gil says. “If we do that, everything will fall into place.”
Visit www.dontitos.com or call 978-323-9273.