DATE: Sunday, May 4, 1997                   TAG: 9705020274

SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER      PAGE: 13   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JENNIFER C. O'DONNELL, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   42 lines

TEX-MEX RESTAURANT TO OPEN IN WESTERN BRANCH

The Rio Trio Corporation of Atlanta is opening a sit-down Tex-Mex restaurant in Western Branch at the end of May.

The restaurant, Rio Bravo Cantina, is currently under construction at the corner of Portsmouth Boulevard and Taylor Road. The cantina will be the latest restaurant addition to the Western Branch business district. A Chick-fil-A fast-food restaurant opened in March in front of Chesapeake Square Mall.

Joel Marks, president of The Rio Trio Corporation, said he chose Western Branch as his first Virginia Rio Bravo Cantina location because of the mix of business and residential properties as well as the nearby mall.

Rio Bravo will feature a blend of handmade, slow-cooked items such as red mesa grilled chicken salad, tortilla club sandwich, vegetarian black bean soup, cancun shrimp and a jumbo seafood burrito. Low-fat and reduced calorie items also will be available. Lunch items will range in price from $3.99 to $5.99 per entree or sandwich. Dinner items will range in price from $5.99 to $11.99.

The building will consist of 5,600 square feet and will seat approximately 260 people.

Features of the cantina will include an outdoor patio, a full bar, music and an indoor tortilla-making machine.

``The tortilla machine will be a focal point of the restaurant and will be in the dining area,'' said Jennifer Davis, a spokesperson for the Rio Trio Corporation.

``The tortillas will go right from the machine to the tables,'' Davis said.

Rio Trio Corporation named Brian Boylan general manager of the Chesapeake location. Boylan has worked with the company since 1989.

Rio Trio Corporation opened its first Rio Bravo Cantina in Tallahassee in 1996. The company, along with sister company Applejam Inc., has been affiliated with Applebee's International Inc., as franchisees since 1989. The companies own and manage 12 Applebee's restaurants in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Texas.

Management with Rio Trio Corporation said the restaurant will employ approximately 150 full and part-time workers.

The restaurant is scheduled to open May 27.

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