After its doors shut recently to "review business options," what was formerly Mojo's Bistro will remain closed indefinitely, according to owner Nigel Leeming.
Mojo's closed because it "wasn't making it," Leeming said.
Leeming, who also owns Murphy's on the Green restaurant next door, said he hopes to have the property turned over as soon as possible, but could not reveal what exactly will fill the now vacant space on South Main Street.
Mojo's brief stint as one of few local Mexican restaurants began last summer amid a nationwide economic slump, to which Leeming partially attributed Mojo's dismal performance. But more than outside circumstances most likely had some bearing on its closure.
"The public has to like what they see. We were progressive in terms of Mexican and it probably scared some people off," Leeming said. "We weren't your traditional Tex-Mex place."
Many students, though, said that they steered clear from dining at Mojo's because of what they saw as exorbitant prices and mediocre fare.
Petra Halsema '03 said she wasn't surprised that Mojo's had lost its, well, mojo.
"I thought the food was too pricey. If they spent less money on the decorations and more on the food, they might have succeeded better," she said.
Others were eager to see what will replace Mojo's.
"I heard that the food was overrated and expensive, and I'd love to have a restaurant I'd like to go to in its place," Zena Bugaighis '05 said.
Its faults aside, Mojo's absence will make for a desert of southwestern cuisine in the Upper Valley. The only other such Tex-Mex restaurant in the area, Shorty's, also shut down operations three days after Mojo's did so.
Leeming said that the Upper Valley has long preferred a traditional, New England menu at its restaurants. Though Asian cuisine may be the exception to the rule, many other eating establishments that carry exotic fare have foundered, as did Mojo's.
"The Upper Valley is a very meat-and-potatoes place," he said. "There are twists to it, but it's a very conservative eating area."
Leeming has no plans to try to expand into other areas of the restaurant business outside of Murphy's on the Green, which has enjoyed considerable success in serving mostly traditional American fare.
Whatever gave rise to Murphy's place as a Hanover institution did not spill over to Mojo's.
"I've been successful at Murphy's, but we weren't in this venture," Leeming said. "So am I hurt? Yeah. Success is always better."
