LANSING — Just in time for the start of patio season, Pablo's will open a new location in REO Town.

The Mexican restaurant's owner, Pablo Maldonado, said opening day is planned for May 5 at the new REO Town location, inside the former Standard Oil station at 1102 S. Washington Ave.

"When we moved to Old Town to open our first restaurant, there was a lot to do to become successful in this part of town," said Maldonado, who opens Pablo's Panaderia in 2005. "Finally we did. Now the neighborhood is a very nice, beautiful neighborhood."

He wants to do the same in REO Town. Maldonado said he aimed to bring something different to REO Town and give back to the city.

The new location will have a 120-person seating capacity, including 20 indoor tables and 10 patio tables for the summer. The restaurant will serve lunch and dinner daily, Monday through Sunday.

Maldonado bought the South Washington Avenue building in 2014 and had initially planned to open by April 2018.

Mayor Andy Schor announced Friday that the Lansing Economic Development Corporation approved initial plans for the expansion of Pablo's.

"Pablo’s Mexican Restaurant has delicious food, and I am thrilled that they are expanding here in Lansing,” Schor said Friday in a news release. “REO Town is thriving with new businesses and the addition of Pablo’s will boost the area even more.”

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Contact Kara Berg at 517-377-1113 or kberg@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @karaberg95.