Restaurant founded by Grammy-winning rapper 2 Chainz to open Downtown

A new restaurant and lounge from the mind of a Grammy award-winning rapper is set to open in Downtown Columbus this fall.

Esco Restaurant & Tapas will open at 31 E. Gay St., in the former location of the Irish-themed Pub Mahone, which closed in March.

Tauheed Epps, better known as rapper 2 Chainz, and Mychel "Snoop" Dillard, founded Esco in Atlanta in 2016 and now operate two Georgia locations as well as Esco Seafood.

Esco Restaurant & Tapas began franchising this year.

The Columbus Esco will be opened by Akron native and entrepreneur Jessica Kay, who has a background in the healthcare industry. Kay said she has been interested in opening a restaurant and lounge for some time and after visiting Esco's Atlanta location a number of times, the opportunity to franchise presented itself.

"It just made sense, especially because I'm not from that type of background," said Kay. "So I was looking for more of the support. Plus I just liked the vibe of the Esco brand."

The Columbus location will be the first outside Georgia. Locations in Dallas and Memphis, Tennessee, and a third Georgia location, are also in the works.

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Esco's wide-ranging menu includes tapas, seafood dishes and Southern staples, including shrimp and grits, lamb chops, Cajun salmon and blackened catfish, along with mac and cheese, collard greens and fried okra. The restaurant will serve lunch and dinner daily, and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.

Doubling as a lounge, the restaurant will also have hookah and bottle service at certain times.

Kay thinks Columbus is an untapped market for an atmosphere and brand like Esco.

"They have the options of Black-owned restaurants, Black-owned clubs. [But] there's not one that's just like our type of brand that we're bringing," said Kay, adding that Columbus is also a foodie city. "We're really excited to bring something new and fresh."

Kay expects the restaurant to open in late November.

tmoorman@dispatch.com

@TaijuanNichole