WESTBROOK – An Old Orchard Beach woman who has spent 20 years spreading the Thatcher’s name around Maine liked Westbrook so much the first time around that she has decided to bring the pub back for another run.

Thatcher’s Restaurant and Sports Pub could open in Westbrook later this month. Owner Cynthia Boulay has plans to open the restaurant at the former Mill Side Tavern location at 10-12 Cumberland St.

Mill Side Tavern closed abruptly in September. At the time, Keith Luke, economic development director for the city, said the building was the longtime site of a tavern and predicted another one would take its place.

He was right.

Boulay said she is doing all she can to have Thatcher’s ready for inspection by Jan. 26. Crews are renovating the interior and exterior to give it the Thatcher’s “look,” she said.

“Hopefully we’ll be open for the Super Bowl,” she said.

Thatcher’s offers pub essentials, including beer, fried haddock and hamburgers. Westbrook’s municipal officers approved food service and liquor licenses, pending final inspections, during the City Council meeting Monday night.

Boulay said she decided to bring the restaurant back to Westbrook because the opportunity arose and she was willing to “take the gamble.

“I’m hoping it will be very successful. I have a very good feeling about that,” she said.

She has ample experience to make it a success; she has bought and sold Thatcher’s around the state starting with the original in Auburn in 1990. Thatcher’s is also located in Gorham, South Portland and Windham.

Boulay opened a Thatcher’s in Westbrook for a time, but took the name when she sold the building. The Stockhouse Restaurant and Sports Pub is now located at the old Thatcher’s.

For Boulay, it was easy to see why returning to Westbrook was a smart move.

“Westbrook was very good to me,” she said. “The town was good to me, and the people were good to me.”

Luke said he is glad to see another restaurant coming to Westbrook.

While he said it was unfortunate the Mill Side Tavern was unable to succeed, he added it is a plus to add a recognizable name like Thatcher’s to the city.

“I think that’s the type of name we’re fortunate to have,” he said. “I think it’s great they want to come back.”

For Luke, the quick turnaround of business spaces like the tavern and Thanksgiving’s, which recently became home to Hoggy’s Market, is good reason to be cautiously optimistic about the future.

“We don’t have a glaring number of vacancies,” he said. “I think things are picking up now.”