Outgoing LOCO Owner Says He Won't Be Far

James Messinger strolled through the back curtains and into the bar area of The floors were laid by him; the bar was built by his father in law; and the lighting and décor were his visions.

The restaurant owner sat on one of the leather couches near the bar – one of the many features in the restaurant he said makes it look unique.

He began to speak of the restaurant fondly – from the regulars he saw night after night, to the ability he has to socialize and mingle with guests.

But, last week, Messinger officially began the process of selling his creation – beginning with the transfer of a liquor license to Maluca Inc., owned by Katherine Pacheco, at last Monday's selectmen's meeting.

It doesn't mean he plans on leaving, though. The 1994 Oliver Ames graduate will continue to have a hand in the business – even writing the latest menu for the incoming owner.

"Really – I'm taking a step back," Messinger said. "By being here and being visible, it just means I can leave at 9 p.m. instead of 2 a.m., that's all."

Messinger, who owns Loco's Foundry Street building, which also headquarters his award-winning catering business, Crazy-Chefs, saw the sale as an opportunity to concentrate on catering and spend more time with his family: his wife, Mikaela, and their two-and-a-half year-old daughter, Isabel.

Messinger sees the sale as another chapter in a life dedicated to culinary arts.

After graduating from Oliver Ames in 1994, he went on to the prestigious Culinary Institute of America where he earned his degree in three years.

The then 21-year-old took a job working at a nearby restaurant as a general manager. He said the friend who hired him gave him a unique opportunity.

"I learned a lot there because he just let me have free reign, I could do whatever I wanted. From there, I sold wine for a year when I was starting my catering my business. So, yeah, it's been great."

Crazy Chefs went on to become hugely successful. Started in 2001, Messinger's business received numerous awards, including "Best Wedding Caterer" by CBS Boston and "Best Regional Caterer" by Gatehouse Media.

Messinger himself won the award of Entrepreneur of the Year in 2003 by the Metro South Chamber of Commerce.

His successful catering business allowed him to open Loco in 2006 at the former site of Dorothy Lou's Bakery on route 106.

Messinger sees the relationship with Crazy Caterers as an opportunity to stay involved with Loco. The two businesses do more than connect – they intersect

Both establishments share a kitchen behind the bar area and employees share the same bathroom.

"This is a great situation because I own the building," said Messinger. "The people coming in, they're the nicest people in the world. We have a lot of shared space so it took a lot of time for us to get to know each other. We've been working on this for months."

While Messinger conceded that the new owners now have free range to make amendments in the restaurant, he thinks little will change. He also hopes his continued presence will help in the transition.

He especially hopes his regulars continue to make their presence felt.

"There's these four guys, and I always tell them 'if you guys don't come in I'm going to check the obituaries' – that's how loyal people are," he said.

Messinger, who believes his greatest strengths are talking to people and cooking, said his loyalties have not changed either. However, he felt running both the catering business and the restaurant by himself was too much, and he wanted to be able to focus on either one or the other.

"For me, my biggest strength is talking to people and cooking," he said. "My biggest weakness is paperwork, so that's one thing I won't miss. In a restaurant, you have daily or weekly bills. In catering you have monthly bills. It will be a nice thing to be able to kick back a little bit at the office, and concentrate at what I'm good at which is selling catering and meeting people."

Messinger said Loco's staff will not change either. His brother and aunt are both longtime cooks at the restaurant. He said the entire staff is happy with the transition.

"I think the restaurant might even be a little better because one of the cooks has been with me for 10 years," he said. "One of them who does most of the sauté' work has been with me for four years.  They haven't changed or turned over. My aunt is the one that's been with me for 10 years, my brother's been with me for two years. These guys aren't going anywhere."

Standing up from the leather couch and walking around, Messinger pointed out the unique tables and mirrors that hung on the wall – including one of the tables named after his daughter, Isabel.

Despite the sale, Messinger said he will always take pride in his creation.

"I take what I do very seriously and I want the restaurant to be great, because it's a reflection of me," he said. "Maybe it's not to others - but for me, I see it as a reflection."