Grand opening for Sawa Asian Cuisine on West Broadway in Gardner
It was a grand opening for the new location of one of Gardner’s most popular restaurants.
The owners of Sawa Asian Cuisine, Ken Huang and Evelyn Ou, were joined by friends and city officials on Tuesday for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the restaurant’s new location at 242 West Broadway in Gardner.
The Japanese and Chinese restaurant, whose location was formerly the site of the South Side Grille and Margarita Factory, has unofficially been open for several weeks, and Huang said he has been very pleased with the reactions from customers, especially when they see the extent of the renovations that have been done to the building.
“Most people just say ‘wow,’ and that is exactly what I want to hear from them when they come in – that’s been my goal for the last two years,” he said. “Everybody says the interior beautiful and amazing, and we try our best to match that level with our service and food.”
Customers will notice that the entire interior of the building has been revamped, with bars added, new tables and booths installed, and the bathrooms relocated. The kitchen entrance has been enlarged and streamlined, with two separate doors for an entrance and exit. The restaurant, which will have an occupancy of 180 people, will feature a space for live music and an outdoor patio.
New restaurant gets rave reviews from city officials
Ward 2 City Councilor Dana Heath said he dined at the restaurant on the first day of its soft opening.
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“I had my whole family here, and the food was great,” Heath said. “This is a beautiful addition to the city, and it’s going to be a new date night spot for me and the wife.”
Mayor Michael Nicholson said he was impressed by the amount of work that went into renovating the space for the city’s newest eatery.
“It’s night and day from what it used to be in here – it’s breathtaking,” Nicholson said. “And I think it’s a great example of a building that could have sat vacant when the other business left, but here it is, it’s a reinvestment in the city, it’s a business expanding, and they’re going to be very successful – and you’ve seen that from the line of people that have been here since opening day.”
Sawa location in Timpany Plaza to continue as take-out, delivery service
Marion Knoll, coordinator of the Gardner Museum, said she had already dined twice at the new restaurant.
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“I love this – you have no idea,” she said. “The food is exceptional as before, and they have their own clientele from before, but I think they will attract a lot of people to Gardner. This is so good for the city.”
Huang and Ou have operated the Sawa location in Timpany Plaza since 2012, and said the former store would remain open as a full-time take-out and delivery business.
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