There will be a new restaurant called One Main that will replace the now-closed Stanzy’s Country Ranch, and city officials and the upcoming owner are hopeful that it would revitalize downtown Peabody after difficulties in doing so because of the pandemic.
Jason Panos, a lawyer representing Pat Todisco of Todisco Properties LLC who will go into the restaurant business with One Main, said that Todisco has had a vision of having downtown Peabody be a lively and active hotspot since 2017.
“He found a tenant to help him with that vision and when the opportunity came up, he’s seized upon it,” Panos said. “Now he’s going to be himself a proprietor who will be more actively involved in fulfilling his dream.”
Councilor-at-Large Jon Turco acknowledged that it was disheartening to lose traction in revitalizing downtown Peabody due to the pandemic, especially because he was excited to see restaurants like Stanzy’s open right before the pandemic.
Todisco, who also owns other properties in the area such as 3 Main St., said that along with the City Councilors and the Mayor, he hopes to bring downtown Peabody back to life.
“We were on the right road, we got hit with COVID, it hurt a lot of people, so it needs to be brought back to life again, and I’m willing and more than able to,” Todisco said.
To do so, Todisco said he will not just focus on his upcoming restaurant, but other businesses in the area as well. For example, plans include having specific tables in the restaurant dedicated to nearby businesses like Gallo Nero, Petrillo’s, or The NexMex Thing, or partnering with a museum to provide adult ticket holders with free meals to their kids.
“I’m sure I’ll have a lot of people from outside our area so the whole goal is that when they sit at these tables they know that Peabody has a lot to offer,” Todisco said.
Ward 2 City Councilor Peter McGinn said that the plan for the restaurant is to occasionally have live entertainment for ambiance, such as a singer with an acoustic guitar, or a comedian.
“They don’t really anticipate engaging bands, and non-live entertainment would be played most of the time to complement the dining experience,” McGinn said.
“I’m looking forward to what he’s going to do over at One Main St.,” Mayor Ted Bettencourt said.
