SAUGUS — A new restaurant is ready to fire up the grills at the former Hilltop Steakhouse site by the end of the week.
The Planning Board approved occupancy of the 110 Grill building and two other retail buildings on the site at a meeting Thursday night.
“They would like to open as soon as next week,” said Zachary Richards of Bohler Engineering.
The only other business that has been announced — Starbucks — is expected to open by the end of the year, said Stephen Martorano, senior project manager at Bohler Engineering.
Developers said the three retail buildings at the front of the development are nearing completion. Roadways, the parking lot, a right-turn-only lane from Route 1, and curbing have all been completed. Most of the work left on the other two retail buildings is interior, said Richards.
The iconic cactus sign has been refurbished and reinstalled and will soon display the names of all businesses in the development. 110 Grill is already listed.
“It’s excited to see names going up,” said Richards. “We are excited to be at this point in the project.”
The fence will be moved to prohibit access to the back of the property, where three residential buildings will be constructed.
110 Grill will have 200 seats — 138 inside and 62 on a 1,200-square-foot outdoor patio. An entertainment license granted in August allows for up to five TVs and a single musician with one instrument.
The restaurant will have six rooms, including private dining rooms that can be rented for functions. It will be open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 12 a.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 12 a.m.
On its website, 110 Grill said its locations have a comfortable yet upscale and casual atmosphere featuring open kitchens, large, horseshoe-shaped bars and outdoor patios with fire pits.
Menu items range from crispy fried pickle chips for $7 to swordfish for $24. Also listed are tater tot poutine for $8; roasted beet salad for $10; turkey, salmon or classic burgers for $13; and pulled-pork mac and cheese for $16.
The 110 Grill restaurant has locations in Berlin, Braintree, Chelmsford, Fall River, Haverhill, Hopkinton, Leominster, Marlboro, Wayland, Worcester, Stratham, N.H., Nashua, N.H., Rochester, N.H., and Albany, N.Y.
Martorano said developers will return to the Planning Board with the completion of each building.
When completed, the $100 million AvalonBay Communities development will also house a total of 280 studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, and a one-story clubhouse with an outdoor swimming pool.
