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The Thirsty Turtle quick to fill vacancy

Thursday, Sept. 14, 2006

Nine months after Lupo’s Italian Chophouse closed its doors in downtown College Park, local businessman and former City Council member Alan Wanuck is set to open a restaurant with affordable dishes and a family-friendly atmosphere.

Wanuck, owner of Alerio’s Pizzeria on Route 1 in North College Park, said the second floor of his new restaurant The Thirsty Turtle, would be available to catered events like graduations or weddings. Wanuck said that the upstairs area would be used for live music, adding that the restaurant could host ‘‘national acts,” although he declined to discuss specifics.

While hesitant to announce an opening date, Wanuck said, ‘‘We’d like to open very soon – in the very near future.”

While the Thirsty Turtle would target University of Maryland College Park students – capitalizing on their demand for a vibrant nightlife in the downtown area – Wanuck said attracting university faculty and College Park families would be critical to the Thirsty Turtle’s long-term success.

‘‘If you’ve been [in College Park] during the summer or winter, when [students are on semester breaks], you see how many people leave the city,” said Wanuck, who graduated from the university in 1989 and opened Alerio’s in 1990. ‘‘The only way to survive is to cater to [residents] too. ... You have to make sure you don’t specifically target one market. That’s how I’ve stayed in business for so long [at Alerio’s].”

Jesse Blitzstein, a university student liaison to the City Council, said Lupo’s upscale atmosphere was an alternative to the plethora of casual dining options in College Park, but failed to find a consistent clientele in the downtown area.

‘‘I think the nice thing about Lupo’s was that it was a really nice place to go eat, but that also may have been a part of their downfall,” Blitzstein said, adding that high prices might have driven out cash-strapped students.

Wanuck said the restaurant would feature the most popular dishes from Alerios’ like pizza and calzones.

Part-owner Tom Hall said menu prices would differ from Lupo’s, which offered many expensive entrees.

‘‘We’re not going to have any more $25 dinners entrees,” Hall said.

Being cautious not to alienate city residents and local families, Wanuck said, would be key to maintaining the favor of the community and the city.

‘‘I live here and I work here so that’s who I’m designing it for,” he said.

E-mail Dennis Carter at dcarter@gazette.net.