Go For Some ‘MofonGo’: Puerto Rican restaurant opening soon

WILLIMANTIC — A Puerto Rican restaurant is coming to Willimantic and will move into the former Friendly’s restaurant on West Main Street.

The restaurant MofonGo, which already has locations in Hartford, New Britain and New Haven, is a quick-service restaurant that sells rice bowls, Mofongos, salads, sandwiches and more.

The owners, Enrique and Julie Rodriguez, are from Hebron and want to bring something new to Willimantic.

“There’s a large population in Willimantic and Windham. It has a lot of Puerto Rican and American people,” Rodriguez said. “Doing the research for demographics, we don’t have many Puerto Rican restaurants here.”

According to Rodriguez, the 2,100-square-foot restaurant will be able to seat 30 to 40 people.

People can enjoy the food at the restaurant or do take-out.

“This could be a full-scale restaurant and we can put a bar in it,” Rodriguez said. “Right now, we’re thinking of a fast-casual Mofongo.”

Rodriguez said their rice bowls are popular because they can be made in many different variations.

Some of the bowls made are Adobo Chicken, which is seasoned chicken served with rice and beans. It can be enjoyed with mayo, ketchup and salsa.

Other bowls include BBQ chicken, a Puerto Rican and American cuisine that features grilled chicken brushed with sweet and smoky BBQ sauce. It is served with rice and beans and salsa can be added.

There are Caribbean-inspired bowls like the black pepper shrimp, which consists of tossed shrimp with a whiskey-infused black pepper sauce served with white rice, beans and mango sauce.

“Our food is pretty good. We have a chef from Puerto Rico that we brought with us to expand our food and flavors from,” Rodriguez said. “The food is very authentic and Willimantic needs something like that.”

Rodriguez said they would try to stay open late.

“There is nothing open past 8 o’clock in this town, and we’re trying to bring something different to the town,” Rodriguez said.

The Hartford restaurant is open Sunday and Monday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Tuesday and Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Construction is currently being done at the restaurant. The inside of the building was completely gutted, and everything will be brand new inside.

According to Rodriguez, the kitchen will be installed in about a month.

“We’re trying to do this the right way and have a beautiful restaurant with good food and friendly staff for the town,” Rodriguez said. “We’re hoping people like it.”

Rodriguez lives in Hebron, which is 10 minutes away from the restaurant. He and his wife, Julie, own all the MoFungo locations throughout the state.

“Every time I wanted to go eat, because I’m an eater, I had to go to West Hartford or Manchester, and that’s not next door,” Rodriguez said. “I really think Willimantic needs something like MofonGo.”

Rodriguez said every day, people stop by and ask him about the restaurant.

The restaurant will open at 1405 W. Main Street in Willimantic, with an estimated opening in mid-November.