A familiar name that went away from Sanborn will soon return to the hamlet.
The former Tecla Rustic Bistro & Bar, an Italian restaurant that closed June 24 after two years of operation, has been bought by Steven Calvaneso and Austin Saccia of Calvaneso’s Ultimate Restaurant Group. They plan on reopening the venue and renaming it the Marlboro Kitchen and Bar.
“We’re trying to make it a family friendly place all people can enjoy,” said Saccia, with the new ownership closing on the 5894 Ward Road property this past Friday.
This will be Calvaneso’s Ultimate Restaurant Group’s first venture into Niagara County, currently operating The Rock Kitchen and Bar in East Amherst, Libation Station, Blue Bull Tavern and Bogie’s Bar in Amherst and Exquisite Catering out of Asbury Hall in Buffalo. It previously operated the Cosmopolitan Grill in Clarence, and Bacchus Wine Bar and Restaurant, the Ya Ya Bayou Brewhouse, and City Grille in Buffalo.
Saccia said while menu options have not been finalized with their chef, it will be similar to options available at the Rock and Blue Bull Tavern — American fare like burgers, salads, wings and soups. Those kinds of options were available when it was the Marlboro Inn.
That old iteration operated for several decades before suffering fire damage to its first and second floors in 2014, closing down and reopening as G-Mac’s Inn in 2017.
Saccia said one of his employee’s brought to his attention that Tecla was leaving and the owner was looking for someone to purchase the property. Calvaneso’s wife is from Sanborn and had fond memories of the place when it went by the Marlboro name.
“If you drive by it, (Matthew Robins, the previous owner) kept it up very well,” Saccia said, explaining the site doesn’t need a lot of changes for the new tenants.
The Marlboro plans on opening in January, after it receives its state liquor license.