New downtown Macon restaurant on track to open by spring

Although it was delayed a bit, the El Camino restaurant is now scheduled to open in downtown Macon by spring.

The Moonhanger Group plans to open the taqueria -- Spanish for a place that sells tacos -- at 378 Second St., adjacent to the Cox Capitol Theatre, as The Telegraph reported in May 2014. At that time, Moonhanger co-owner Wes Griffith expected that the restaurant would open later that year.

"When we decided we wanted to help the H&H (Restaurant), we had to put the taqueria on the back burner," Griffith said. Moonhanger bought H&H about three months after it closed and reopened the landmark eatery in August 2014.

But renovations for El Camino are underway. The facade has been changed, plumbing and electrical work is roughed in and construction should be completed within a month, he said. Doors will be put in for access to the theater and its kitchen.

"Our plan is to kind of create some synergy between the Capitol Theatre and the taqueria," he said. "So people will have a place to eat on site when they come to a concert."

The 1,800-square-foot eatery would be open for lunch and dinner six days a week, and it would employ at least 10 to 15 people.

"Our biggest offerings will be tacos, tortas (Spanish-style sandwiches) and tequilas," Griffith said. "We will have a full bar. ... We've built a big smoke house out back with a big commercial smoker, and we'll be smoking and braising a lot of meats."

In addition to El Camino and H&H, the Moonhanger Group owns and operates The Rookery, Dovetail and The Armory Ballroom, all in downtown Macon.

To contact writer Linda S. Morris at 744-4223 or follow her on Twitter@MidGaBiz.

This story was originally published January 6, 2016 at 9:44 PM with the headline "New downtown Macon restaurant on track to open by spring ."