Tonica could open second location Downtown
The owner of Tonica in Midtown plans to open a second location this fall in the former Pretty Taco space at 265 S. Front St.
Tonica Midtown owner John-Paul Gagliano applied to the Downtown Memphis Commission’s Center City Development Corp. for a $30,000 retail-improvement grant for the new restaurant location.
The Downtown location, which is expected to open in October, is an extension of the original Tonica location at 1545 Overton Park Ave., which opened in 2022.
Tonica Downtown will be open daily as a tapas and cocktail bar with Spanish-Mediterranean small plates, craft cocktails and Sunday brunch.
Gagliano, who also owns Ecco on Overton Park and Libro at Laurelwood with his family, said the 4,000-square-foot space has great bones but needs extensive renovations. The hope is to start construction this month.