Barbour & Williams Law

I heard a burger bar is opening in Oak Ridge Commons shopping center, and another restaurant will be opening right next to it. Can you confirm what’s in the plans?

We talked with Rio Grande owner Pepe Silva earlier this week, and he told us he is converting the original Rio Grande (beside Bistro 150) in Oak Ridge Commons shopping center into a burger bar. The restaurant will specialize in smash burgers (for those who aren’t familiar with smash burgers, they’re ground beef patties that are smashed on a searing hot flat grill and cooked until the edges are crispy).

Silva also said he plans to open a pizzeria next to the burger bar, in the space formerly occupied by Nonna

Teresa Eatery (and before Nonna Teresa’s, Elizabeth’s Italian Restaurant occupied the space for about 20 years).

A specialized flat grill for the burger bar and a pizza oven for the pizzeria have been on order for the last few months, but due to the lingering effects of COVID, fulfilling and shipping the order has been a slow process and Silva said he has still not received confirmation as to when they will be delivered. Once he gets the word, he’ll have a better idea of when the burger bar and pizzeria can open, and he promised to keep us posted.

Is the new bagel place in Oak Ridge going to open up any time soon?

According to the company’s website, Oak Ridge Bagels & Deli, owned by Stokesdale residents Corey and Nicole Crites, is now hiring and plans to open next month. The New York-style bagel shop and deli will serve fresh bagels (of course), along with artisan deli sandwiches, gourmet salads and sweet treats; it will be open seven days a week.

Stay tuned atoakridgebagels.com and follow the new business on Facebook, Instagram and other social media.

For those interested in applying for a job, you can also download an application from the company’s website.