A well-known local restaurant, Tomatillos, 20 W. Stimson Ave., closed its doors during winter break and reopened a few weeks later as Rose's Cantina, Athens' newest bar and grille.
Rose's features a walk-up bar -made out of Tomatillos old buffet -several pool tables, four TVs and a dartboard, as well as new menu items and five beers on tap, said Mark Bernards, Rose's owner.
The biggest change in the new restaurant is its more
bar-oriented atmosphere, Bernards said.
We're trying to be a Southwestern cantina -a gathering place
he said.
Bernards said students can get burned out of the Uptown bar scene; he's hoping students will view the cantina as an alternative to Uptown bars.
Rose's is open until 11 p.m. on weekdays and 1 a.m. on weekends and allows smoking at all times.
Tomatillos made the change to Rose's for several reasons, including a difficult market for ethnic restaurants in Athens and an increase in state liquor licensing fees, Bernards said.
The fee for a state liquor license increased from $286 to $940 a year, making it too expensive to serve alcohol in the restaurant, and he said that he was hoping to do much more business by adding the bar.
So far, Rose's Cantina has increased in business compared to Tomatillos, Bernards said.
I should have done (this) a long time ago he said.
Jessica Mahaffey, a Rose's waitress who worked at Tomatillos for a year and a half before it became Rose's, said she has seen an increase in the number of students she serves.
We're trying to attract a different crowd she said. It's a whole new environment.
Kim Guffey, a Rose's customer, said that she had only been to Tomatillos a few times in
the past year, but that she
could see herself going to Rose's more often
It's a more informal
chill environment
said Guffey, 22. Tomatillos used to be a long
drawn-out experience; this
