Like Chicken? Pollo Club Restaurant To Open On Moody

WALTHAM, MA — If you've seen the black and white checkers in the window at 465 Moody Street (or on the Moody's Deli Instagram stories) you know. There's a new chicken-themed restaurant about to open in Waltham where El Rincon, and tacos had a short-lived stint. By fall, the Pollo Club will take over.

"We're very excited. It's a really cool concept," manager Assaad Hage, the manager of the new restaurant, told the licensing board earlier this week.

The plan is for the black and white checkered papers in the window to come down and for the space to be open for business right after Labor Day, his lawyer told the commission.

The restaurant is brought to you by the folks behind Moody's Deli and the Back Room and comes after Joshua Smith left suddenly earlier this year, prompting the city's licensing board to shut down Moody's.

At a special May meeting, the commission approved the license transfers and said Moody's Deli could reopen in May, but not serve liquor until the state approval process was completed there.

The commission also approved a license transfer to the space at 456 Moody Street, formerly known as El Rincon, which closed at the beginning of the year. Dan Rivers, who took over the businesses told the commissioners then that he planned to focus on reopening Moody's Deli and the backroom first and then turn to a "new concept" at 456 Moody Street by July. The commission told him if he wanted to keep the liquor license he'd have to get back to them in 90 days.

Hage's attorney told the commission the Pollo Club has art up on the walls, complete with new mural though there's still work to be done.

"There's been substantial progress," he said.

The restaurant name is pronounced Polo, but is a play on words. "Pollo" means chicken in Spanish.

RELATED:

• Moody Street Deli Closes 'For Renovation'
• Moody's Deli Can Reopen, Waltham Licensing Commission

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).