Longtime Oakhurst restaurant Matador Mexican Cantina has closed, with plans for the space to turn into a second location for Tucker eatery Ford’s BBQ.
Matador, which was located 350 Mead Road in Decatur for 15 years, closed after dinner service on Cinco de Mayo.
Owner James Maggard chalked the closure up to timing.
“The space was in desperate need of a refresh, a remodel, a re-everything,” he said. Maggard said the restaurant was also effected by the struggle restaurants are facing nationwide to hire employees.
Taking over the Matador space early this summer will be a second location of Ford’s BBQ, the restaurant Maggard and his business partner Justin Bradford opened in Tucker in late 2020. The pair also own the Stratford in Avondale Estates and the Local No. 7 in Tucker.
The menu will be the same as the original Ford’s, with all food cooked on-site. Matador customers can look for a few holdovers from that menu, along with Ford’s Mexican-influenced dishes including queso dip and street tacos. The restaurant will also feature a full bar.
The space, which Maggard said will “look eerily similar” to the Tucker location of Ford’s, will undergo cosmetic changes. Indoor and outdoor seating will be available.
“There’s going to be new management, new people and a new focus on quality and connecting with the community,” Maggard said.
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