ALBANY PARK — T&B Grill closed Sunday night after hosting a final buffet for loyal customers. But instead of bidding patrons one last sad farewell, owner Ambrosio Mancines had a surprise announcement up his sleeve — he plans to reopen in two weeks, just not as T&B Grill.
"I haven't decided what exactly it's going to be. I need to sit down and think what's going to fit," Mancines told DNAinfo.
The 2-year-old T&B at 3658 W. Lawrence Ave. served an inventive mix of "T"-for-tacos and "B"-for-burgers, but never quite caught fire, said Mancines, a veteran cook but first-time restaurateur.
Chief among his missteps, he said: T&B's name, which was neither memorable nor descriptive, essentially failing on all promotional fronts.
And while Mancines' tacos — options included duck leg confit and spicy shrimp — drew national attention from publications like Travel & Leisure, local diners already had their pick of established taquerias in Albany Park, he said.
"I didn't get customers from the neighborhood," Mancines said.
Whatever the name and menu of his new joint turns out to be, Mancines vowed to correct another T&B miscue — this time he'll inform people he's open for business, something he failed to broadcast back in 2015.
"I was thinking good food would be enough," Mancines said. "There's a lot more to the business than the food side. I learned that. Now I've got to come back and fix the mistakes."
