Framingham Restaurateur Has Plans For Marlborough's Fish Restaurant

MARLBOROUGH, MA — A longstanding downtown Marlborough seafood restaurant has closed, but may not stay that way for long.

Fish Restaurant and Wine Bar closed this week, the Community Advocate reported Tuesday. But Framingham restaurant owner Luke Foley has been seeking approval to open his own concept in the space since last year.

In December, Foley, who owns Bourbon's Kitchen & Cocktails in Framingham, went to the Marlborough License Board to talk about plans for a restaurant called Chica Mala at Fish's 29 South Bolton St. address.

"Chica Mala will be a 'city-style taquería,' bringing a Boston flair (atmosphere, music, etc.)," the minutes from that meeting said.

However, the Licensing Board held off on approving a license for Chica Mala in December because the owners of Fish had not notified the city whether it was closing. Chica Mala was set to go before the board again at the end of January, but Foley withdrew the application on Jan. 24, the Marlborough Board of Health and Licensing Board told Marlborough Patch at the time.

Chica Mala was not on the License Board's February meeting agenda, and no meetings have been scheduled yet in the remaining days of March.

Fish changed its name from Coral Seafood in 2011, and has been in operation in Marlborough for about 25 years.

Foley opened Bourbon's in a plaza between Route 30 and Route 126 in 2017.