Las Margaritas Restaurante Mexicano & Cantina opened its sixth outlet May 31 in what was a City Books store at 6150 E. Main St.

Company representative Chris Day said plans include a seventh restaurant in Lincoln Village on the West Side of Columbus in July and possible expansion into Lancaster.

Day said the first Las Margaritas opened in Dublin in 2001.

Besides its specialty - serving affordable authentic Mexican food and margaritas - the restaurant chain promotes a family atmosphere where kids can also have fun, Day said.

Store manager Katie Mutchler, who has been with the company for five years, said the Reynoldsburg restaurant offers a full bar and hosts a "happy hour" from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. daily, with $1 off bottled beer and half-price appetizers.

Reynoldsburg development director Lucas Haire said Las Margaritas expands the diverse dining options offered in the area.

"It's great addition to the area we just keep expanding and offering new choices to our residents," Haire said.

The complex where Las Margaritas is located was built four years ago and has seen a few businesses come and go since.

City Books closed its doors in early July 2010, and before that, the space was occupied by a Starbucks that closed in 2008. Since Las Margaritas is a growing chain in central Ohio, Haire said it is likely the restaurant will do well in that location.

Mutchler, who recently graduated from Capital University with a degree in business marketing and a minor in Spanish, said the company chose the new location in Reynoldsburg because of the high visibility and traffic flow along East Main Street.

Prices range from single a la carte dishes starting at $1.99 to lunch and dinner specialties ranging from about $3.99 up to $14.99, she said.

One of the house specialties is the "Cazuelada" dish, which features a combination of steak, chicken and chorizo sausage sauted with mushrooms, bell peppers, onions and topped with melted cheese, including Spanish rice and charro beans, Mutchler said.

The restaurant has a front patio that can seat approximately three dozen customers and an interior dining room with space for at least 150, including the bar area, she said.

Day said the restaurant also offers drop-off catering services for customers holding parties or special events.