Mexican restaurant to open in former Signature Grill on East Michigan Avenue in Saline

The restaurant is taking over the 3,103-square-foot building at 405 E. Michigan Ave. just east of downtown Saline — a space most recently occupied by Signature Grill.

The restaurant’s specialty: moderately priced, “authentic” Mexican food.

The building, which is owned by Dean Zahn Properties, has been vacant since 2009 when Signature Grill closed. Tony Caprarese of Swisher Commercial had the building listed for lease, and he said it took some time to find the right tenant.

“We had a number of interested parties and a number of showings,” he said. “Given the economy and the market, we just couldn’t find the right fit until this particular prospect came along.”

He added: “It’s a location that I think this particular use is ideal for and I think the downtown has a pretty diverse mix of different restaurants…adding a Mexican cuisine to that market, we believe, will get a good reception.”

Restaurant owner Ismael Leon launched the first Cancun Mexican Grill in Kentucky in 1993. Since then, his business has expanded considerably, adding locations to Ohio and Michigan.

He said the business has seen success thanks to its “fresh food and good, clean atmosphere.”

“Those are the most important things for us,” he said. “It’s just a good product.”

He has other Michigan locations in Grand Ledge, Cadillac, Mount Pleasant and three in Okemos.

Leon said he decided to expand to Washtenaw County because he “enjoy(s) the Ann Arbor area” and spends a significant amount of time here when he travels to his different restaurant locations.

He hopes to begin renovations to the space in the coming month, and the restaurant is expected to open sometime this summer. He’ll transform the building to look like his other locations, including installing all new equipment, bringing in furniture from Mexico and building an outdoor patio.