Central Public House, which opened on Main Street in 2018, is slated to be replaced by a new restaurant soon. PHOTO/JERRY SPAR

A new restaurant will be coming to Main Street this spring, replacing Central Public House, as 42 Main Street changes hands.

Dennis Wilson, the owner of Central Public House, is in the final stages of closing a deal with a group of buyers who intend to open a new Italian fusion restaurant. 

While a closing date has not been determined yet, the goal is to hand over operations once Central Public House’s liquor license is transferred to the new owners. The Select Board approved the transfer at its meeting on Tuesday night.

“It has to go to the state to approve the liquor transfer [next],” said Wilson. That process should take 4-6 weeks. Wilson anticipates the final transfer of ownership may happen sometime mid-March.

“It’s one step at a time,” he noted.

Wilson opened Central Public House in 2018 with the aim of bringing “a city dining experience to the suburbs.” 

The restaurant was known for its rotating menu of seasonally available entrees and appetizers, along with its unique dining atmosphere. It earned a feature on the locally renowned television program Phantom Gourmet.

Wilson says the decision to sell the restaurant hinged on a number of factors. Chief among them was spending more time with his children and a new business opportunity.

“My wife and I wanted to pursue some other things,” he said.

Wilson is a 32-year veteran of the food service industry. He began working in restaurants at the age of 16 and went on to attend the Connecticut Culinary Institute. His resume includes working for award-winning chefs, an executive chef position at the Lenox Hotel in Boston and opening a restaurant in Boston’s Seaport District.

Once Central Public House changes hands, he plans to move away from the food service industry. He described how the job has been tough for him and his family, and that he “wants to see how the other half lives.”

“People see this stuff on TV and think it’s a glamorous life,” said Wilson. “It’s a hard job.”

While Wilson was not at liberty to discuss his new venture, he noted that the move made sense for him and his family.

“We’ve been presented an opportunity to walk away with some good people taking over,” he explained.

The three new owners are industry veterans and local restaurateurs. Joe Alves, Mark Wyspianski and Ramon Ramos will run the restaurant together, with Wyspianski and Ramos acting as manager and executive chef, respectively.

The new owners intend on rebranding the restaurant and building a new menu. Alves says Ramos’ menu will be “more of an Italian fusion” with influences from Spanish and Portuguese cuisines.

“We’re open to anything. … It’s really what the demand is,” said Alves.

In regard to the layout, Wyspianski says they don’t plan on radical changes.

“It’s a beautiful space, especially the outside,” said Wyspianski. “They did a great job with the initial build-out, so we want to take advantage of that.”

Alves echoed Wyspianski’s thoughts. “We’re not going to make a lot of changes right away,” he said. “The place was only built a few years ago, [so] it doesn’t need a lot.”

Both Alves and Wyspianski said they aimed to retain the current staffing as well.

One big change will be the restaurant’s name. The owners are working on finalizing branding but noted during Tuesday’s Select Board meeting their intention to open under the name Arcos Cucina and Bar.

For Wyspianski, owning a restaurant of his own has been a longtime dream. Currently, he is the manager for Avenue in Medfield. 

A resident of Hopkinton, Wyspianski said the opportunity to open a restaurant in his community meant a lot to him.

“I always wanted to leave my own mark in the area I grew up, and I think this is a great opportunity to get started here,” he said.

Wyspianski and Alves connected during Wyspianski’s time as a restaurant manager at Alicante in Mendon. Alves owned Alicante for over 20 years, selling the business two years ago. 

He first opened Alicante in 2002 and employed both Wyspianski and Ramos. He knew both men were interested in opening their own place, so when the opportunity came up to purchase Central Public House, he made the decision to join them.

“I decided to invest in these guys, and we’re going to make a go of it,” said Alves.

Alves and Wyspianski met with the Select Board on Tuesday and briefly discussed their plans for 42 Main Street. The board approved the transfer of Central Public House’s liquor licenses to the new owners. From here, the group will meet with state officials for next steps on the license transfer.

Once the transfer is complete, the new owners hope to open their restaurant as quickly as possible. Hours will be limited as they get up to speed.

“We’ll start slow and add as we see demand,” said Alves. “We’ll feel out the town and see what demand is.”