After a year of running the Chica Chica Chop Chop, food-buggy owners Todd and Tuti Wilson are losing their wheels and trying their hand at the stationary restaurant business.
The Wilsons, both 1994 graduates of Ohio University, bought the former Salaam property at 33 N. Court St. about four weeks ago in hopes of opening a Cuban-fusion restaurant, Sol, before or during Winter Intersession.
Salaam relocated to 21 West Washington St.
“Having the buggy was just a good experience overall,” Todd said. “ We definitely have an advantage (opening this restaurant) because the buggy was a billboard and a step-off point for us. We did (Chica Chica Chop Chop) so we could have a test environment for the product and see what people’s reactions were like.”
Cuban food has a deep history in the Wilson’s lives as they dated throughout high school and college. Todd said he learned a lot about Cuban culture and cookery from Tuti and her family. The couple embraced and loved the food and wanted to bring a taste of the cuisine back to the bricks after returning to Athens in 2004.
Although Sol’s menu is not completely finalized, the owners’ plan to put their own twist on traditional Cuban food, or a “fusion of cuisines in itself (which has) influences of Spanish, Caribbean, African and Asian cuisines creating its own unique flavor,” Todd said.
The restaurant will be open for both lunch and dinner, with $5 to $20 dishes, made from healthy, unprocessed and a lot of local ingredients, he said. Among various appetizers and entrees, the restaurant plans to serve Cuban coffee and, hopefully, alcoholic beverages, pending the status of their liquor license.
Breanna Carrero, a junior studying education and German, enjoys the idea of having a beach-inspired restaurant in Athens.
“Sol sounds like a great idea, especially since there is nothing like it here in Athens,” Carrero said. “Not only am I excited to try Cuban-fusion food, but I look forward to having a new, relaxed restaurant that my friends and I can go to Uptown.”
To prepare for their fast-approaching opening, the Wilsons have been working hard “on a tight budget” to revamp the property.
“Sol is also a homonym for soul,” Todd said. “It’s the soul of us. It’s our inspiration, our vision; it’s our heart and soul that will be running this restaurant. ... Yes, I want to make money. But more importantly, I want to share something with the community, and, with Sol, my wife and I get to do just that.”
Sunha Choi, a freshman international student from Korea who is studying business, thinks adding a new restaurant that makes something besides American food is really important to have in a college town.
“Because there are students from all over the world that choose Athens as their home, I think it’s really important to have students learn and try new kinds of food,” Choi said. “(Sol) sounds really cool and I can’t wait to go there.”
sl642509@ohiou.edu
