The deal closes tomorrow and the new owners take over Saturday from long-time restaurateur Mr. Brian Hetzel.

Mr. Rick Olson and partner, Mr. Phil Talbot said they intend to maintain the successful restaurant element and improve on other aspects of the business.

The partners were both once involved with the Robin Hood Pub and restaurant, although Mr. Olson conceded that he has had an interest in buying M R Onions for a couple of years.

He said, "We are not planning any real changes initially. But we do have some long term plans. We want to get in there and get a feel for things. I guess our main focus will be increasing the bar business, and emphasising that a little more.

"We would like to get the happy hour crowd there, but we wouldn't want it to negatively affect the restaurant. We want to be careful what we do. We don't want to scare away the existing clientele.'' Mr. Olson spent eight years with the Bank of Bermuda before three years ago buying into the Robin Hood. He sold his share of the pub to partner, Mr. Gary Sheppard, a couple of months ago.

Mr. Talbot leaves his job this week as general manager of Palmetto Bay Hotel.

It was the dining room at MR Onions that enabled the business to develop sales of nearly $2 million a year. The business employs a staff of 23.

Mr. Hetzel has operated the restaurant for about ten years, after taking over the premises from the failed Atlantic Oyster House restaurant.

The business, which occupies about 3,500 square feet in Atlantic House on Par-La-Ville Road, has been on the market since the beginning of the year, when Mr. Hetzel told The Royal Gazette that he was contemplating plans to move his family to New Zealand.

Mr. Hetzel bought into the restaurant business about 20 years ago when he teamed with Mr. Fritz Reiter.

The following year, Mr. Hetzel assumed complete ownership of the Hog Penny and Fishermen's Reef restaurants, which he later sold.