Tracks Bar & Grill owner plans new restaurant in downtown Cary

The owner of Cary’s Tracks Bar and Grill is opening another restaurant in downtown Cary that will serve specialty cocktails, paninis, sandwiches and flatbreads.

The new restaurant, called Leo’s 121, will be across the street from Tracks at 121 W. Main St. The building was a bank in the early 1900s and most recently was home to a small gift store called Brush before the owners moved to downtown Crystal Lake with a shop called Out of the Box.

About 500 feet away sits owner Leo Florio’s successful restaurant, Tracks, which has been open for more than 40 years. Winning multiple Best of the Fox awards over the years, Tracks is known for its hamburgers and bloody Marys.

Leo’s 121 menu consists of paninis, sandwiches, flatbreads, soups and salads, with items including a margherita flatbread, a roast beef panini and The Leo, made up of “crusty bread, salami, prosciutto, cheeses, tomatoes, greens and giardiniera,” according to village documents. Craft cocktails include margaritas, an Aperol spritz and an espresso martini.

To get the business off the ground, Florio applied for the village’s Facade Improvement and Interior Buildout Grant Program. The program was created to “encourage business investment” and “promote the revitalization of commercial properties,” according to village documents.

Reconfiguration of the interior space, creating a second accessible restroom and added plumbing, is planned, at a total estimated expense of $19,000 for renovations, village documents say. Florio asked for the program to cover half the expenses, totaling in $9,500. The Cary Village Board unanimously passed the grant application last week.

The property is within the central tax increment financing district. The village has $40,000 budgeted for the year to spend on the program within the TIF district, according to village documents. Half has been committed to other projects, including The Pieceful Project and Armanetti Express Wine and Liquor.

Florio could not be reached for comment.

According to village documents, the restaurant will have a main floor and a basement with a bar, seating for more than 30 guests and three video gaming machines. Hours are planned to be 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.