NEW BEDFORD — Construction has started on the much-anticipated Cisco New Bedford, a restaurant and entertainment complex set to open in the South End.
Stephen Silverstein, the founder of Not Your Average Joe’s Restaurant and owner of the Black Whale, is helming the project along with Jay Harman of Cisco Brewers in Nantucket, and said on Wednesday that they plan on opening in late spring.
They closed on the purchase of the former Davy’s Locker restaurant on Dec. 31, Silverstein said, and “are working as hard as we possibly can to get it open for late spring.”
That said, Silverstein said he recognizes that there may be some delays.
“We have millions of dollars of work to do in ten weeks,” he said.
Silverstein said they will do everything they can to keep to the construction schedule, but a lot of agencies are also involved in the construction process.
“Myself, my wife, everybody involved in this project is working 100 hours a week,” Silverstein said.
Though some of the work is fun — including picking out countertops, color schemes, and designing a sushi and raw bar.
“It’s the creative part right now,” the restaurateur said.
In addition to the construction work on the facility, which includes the creation of an outdoor space for live music and portable kiosks offering food and beverage service, Silverstein has hired most of the management team.
Fairhaven resident Luciano DaSilva, who worked at Not Your Average Joe’s for 20 years, has been hired as the head chef, Silverstein said.
“He’s the best chef I ever worked with at Not Your Average Joe’s,” he said, “He’s a real pro.”
Another Fairhaven resident and Not Your Average Joe’s alum , Jen McCue, has been hired as the general manager.
“I’m hiring a team of all stars, my best,” Silverstein said.
They are also nailing down the menu, which he said will include things like fried clams, chowder, fish and chips, tacos, sushi, pulled pork sandwiches and flatbreads.
“The menu is going to be cool,” Silverstein said, “It’s going to be affordable, creative, approachable, more sort of California beach meets New England beach.”
They have not started the process of hiring entertainment for the venue, but Silverstein said when they do it will be the same sorts of bands that perform at Cisco Nantucket, four or five- piece bands performing folk and light rock.
Excitement about the project quickly spread across the SouthCoast as more and more people learned of Silverstein and Harman’s plans for the Rodney French Boulevard site.
“People are crazy excited about it,” Silverstein said, “Quite honestly I’ve been in the business 30 years, I’ve never seen so much enthusiasm for anything.”
Despite that excitement, Silverstein said he is only cautiously optimistic because the concept has never really been done before and the location hasn’t had success for years.
“We’re going to spend almost $5 million on this project, but I can’t tell you for sure that this is going to make money,” Silverstein said. “It’s not like opening a McDonald’s.”
However, Silverstein said his years of experience give him a feeling that the reaction to Cisco New Bedford is going to be “ridiculous.”
Once Cisco New Bedford opens, Silverstein said, it will still be a work in progress for the next five years.
“We’re just going to keep improving and adding on to it and making it better and better and better over time,” he said, “It’s such a monster project there are so many opportunities to make it great.”
One of those opportunities? A sunset harbor cruise boat that will leave from the dock in front of the property, Silverstein said.