The owner of Merced’s on Brandy Pond restaurant is expanding to North Windham.

The owner of the Merced’s on Brandy Pond restaurant in Naples will open a new restaurant, Franco’s Bistro, in the former Thatcher’s restaurant building in North Windham next month.

After a 27-year run, Thatcher’s closed on April 1, following news that co-owner Dave Garry had been diagnosed with cancer. Following a 26-year Navy career, Garry and his wife, Maggie, opened the restaurant in the Windham Mall in 1988, moving it to the 2,684-square-foot location at 907 Roosevelt Trail in 2008.

“We worked too hard but it was worth it and we served excellent food,” Maggie Garry said. “Dave had a lot of his own recipes – French onion soup was a top seller, fish chowder, alcohol cherries, comfort food, prime rib.”

Frank Merced is acquiring the property and will open Franco’s Bistro, which will primarily serve Italian and Mediterranean food, on May 5. Merced, who plans to be the lead chef at both of his restaurants, said Franco’s Bistro will be open daily throughout the year. During the off-season, Merced’s on Brandy Pond is open Thursdays through Sundays.

“I do anticipate seven days,” Merced said. “I look at Windham as a year-round, seven-days-a-week business environment.”

According to Aimee Senatore, executive director of the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce, Windham provides an opportunity for Lakes Region business owners looking to make more money during the off-season.

“I know for him this was a great business opportunity because Naples really shuts down in the winter months,” Senatore said. “This was an opportunity for him to get a busier piece of the market in Windham that stays open during the winter months.”

Merced said Franco’s Bistro, which will offer dinner entrees at prices ranging from $14 to $25, should improve the Windham dining scene.

“I saw an opportunity and I thought Windham can accommodate a nicer restaurant aside from the usual chains and fast-food places that are done there right now,” he said. “I’m going to go heavy on the Italian, and hope that will allow me the opportunity to do other regional cooking as well as some New England cooking.”

Franco’s Bistro will initially only be open for dinner from 3-9 p.m., and will then expand to lunch hours, beginning at 11:30 a.m., according to Merced.

According to Maggie Garry, Merced will hire many of the laid-off Thatcher’s employees. Garry, who expressed thanks to Thatcher’s longtime customers and staff, said she thinks Merced will do a fine job.

“It was like one big family there,” Garry said. “We went down the other night and said goodbye. Oh, there were more tears but they were being really pretty positive about the new place and I think the new place is going to be great. It’s going to be a step up from Thatcher’s and he’s going to do his own homemade desserts, like we used to do.”

Frank Merced, owner of Merced’s on Brandy Pond in Naples, is expanding to Windham, filling the vacated Thatcher’s at the corner of Anglers Road and Route 302. Here he is with Greater Bridgton Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce executive director Sue Mercer.Courtesy photo