BUTLER TWP., Montgomery County — The new El Toro Bar and Grill at 6770 Miller Lane that we told you about first back in July has opened.

The 350-seat restaurant employs 35 people — 20 full-time and 15 part-time — and its opening follows an $850,000 expansion and renovation, according to Abdul Alnobani, CEO of Izis Holding LLC in Springfield and a spokesman for the Munoz family that owns the Dayton-based El Toro chain of Mexican restaurants. The Miller Lane location is the 10th restaurant in the Dayton-based chain, which has locations in Huber Heights, Riverside, Vandalia, Beavercreek, Miami Twp., Bellbrook and Springfield.

The new El Toro location on the busy Miller Lane restaurant row has been vacant since Don Pablo’s closed in January 2008. The building was gutted, and the addition of a mezzanine and balcony seating added 2,000 square feet to the building, Alnobani said.

El Toro’s owners were attracted by the large volume of diners that frequent the Miller Lane area and the concentration of motels and restaurants on and around Miller Lane, Alnobani said.

The new restaurant opened to the public Thursday, Oct. 28 and was able to start serving alcohol from its full liquor license late Friday. El Toro’s hours are Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., and Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, call the restaurant at (937) 415-0940.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2000 or flastname@DaytonDailyNews.com.