El Centro Set To Close In Brookline Village

BROOKLINE, MA — Another restaurant is closing soon in Brookline Village. El Centro, which sits at the corner of Washington Street and Davis Court, will be replaced by a Thai restaurant in the coming months, according to the owner.

When El Centro opened, it was sort of a homecoming for chef-owner Allan Rodriguez. He lived in the Village and worked at Baja Betty's and the Spa while learning English. And then he started his own construction company.

After moving out of Brookline, he opened a restaurant in 2011 in the South End using dishes inspired by his mother who had her own restaurant in Mexico. Two years later, he opened the second restaurant in Brookline Village, and he was thrilled when old neighbors — and construction clients — started coming.

But some six years in, he's closing up shop. No, although many people have asked him, it's not the rent that him moving out.

"To be honest, since the [marijuana] dispensary opened, it's been busier. Somehow the restaurant sales have increased for the past three months," he said. "And we have a great landlord. It's more about finding a space so that we can have a bigger full experience with customers."

He's outgrown the space, he said. And it just so happened that his business partner and he were looking at next steps, when folks wanting to open a new Thai restaurant came knocking.

"Brookline has been amazing. No complaints. I like the variety of the customers, they're very well traveled and know these dishes," said Rodriguez. He said he also loved that from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. you could see families with kids stopping by for dinner.

To all of his customers throughout El Centro's time in Brookline Village?

"Very simple. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for the opportunity and the loyalty and for being patient at the beginning as we worked the kinks out," he said, adding that he hopes folks will visit at one of the other locations.

There's the original in the South End, one in Belmont and one in Dedham, he also opened a taco shop in Newbury Street called La Neta, and there's another one in the works for the suburbs soon, he said.

Still, he said he will always feel ties to Brookline -aside from the fact that he still has that construction company, and currently has six projects in Brookline, even.

"We've been very grateful to be here," he said. "If the town needs us for something - a fundraiser or anything like that, we'll be very willing to help."

Rodriguez said the last day is not set in stone, but will likely be in about a month.

Mahaniyum, a Thai restaurant run by a chef who has worked for Rod Dee in the past, will do some minor renovations before it opens. No date is set for that, yet, either.

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