ORR football coach realizes lifelong dream to open restaurant
Bryce Guilbeault, with the help of wife Brittney, opened a restaurant in Mattapoisett. Photo source: Brycle Guilbeault
The restaurant sign on County Road. Photos by Tanvi Kulkarni
His two dogs, Koko (left) and Bo (right), inspired the name of the restaurant. 
Guilbeault wanted the restaurant to be artistic and colorful, and Brittney did most of the decorating, painting and interior design. 
The restaurant bar.
Brittney made tentacles coming out of the wall with pool noodles.
Bryce Guilbeault, with the help of wife Brittney, opened a restaurant in Mattapoisett. Photo source: Brycle Guilbeault
The restaurant sign on County Road. Photos by Tanvi Kulkarni
His two dogs, Koko (left) and Bo (right), inspired the name of the restaurant.
Guilbeault wanted the restaurant to be artistic and colorful, and Brittney did most of the decorating, painting and interior design.
The restaurant bar.
Brittney made tentacles coming out of the wall with pool noodles.
MATTAPOISETT — After 26 years in the restaurant industry, Bryce Guilbeault, 44, fulfilled a lifelong dream of opening his own restaurant, estilo mexicano.
The head coach of Old Rochester Regional High School’s football program, the Marion resident said he has always preached the importance of community to his players. This restaurant, called Kokobo’s Coastal Cantina, is a way for him to “practice what he preaches.”
“It’s a big risk to take, but at the end of the day, it’s really important to me and my wife to have the opportunity to open up something in the community, something people can be proud of,” he said.
He has been in the restaurant business for the last 26 years and the general manager for the Brew Fish Bar & Eatery in Marion for the last seven years. Guilbeault worked with a chef to create new recipes for the restaurant, which opened on Oct. 29.
Opening day was “super busy,” and a lot of people sat on the outdoor patio, Guilbeault said. The feedback on the food and atmosphere has been positive.
“I’m very excited. I’m also very stressed out right now,” he said in the days leading up to the opening. “Mostly I get up at 5 o'clock in the morning, and I wish there were 48 hours in the day. I’m constantly just doing one thing or another.”
Kokobo’s Coastal Cantina is a Mexican-inspired eatery with appetizers, tacos, burritos, quesadillas, wings and tenders, salads, a signature soup, mac and cheeses, desserts and cocktails. Guilbeault wanted a small but mighty menu that he felt confident he could execute, with fresh and good-quality ingredients. He said he “wants it to be a place people can come and it’s not very expensive.”
The venue has a small outdoor patio, where Guilbeault wants to have acoustic artists perform on spring and summer evenings. His wife, Brittney Guilbeault, worked on the restaurant’s interior design and decor to create an overall colorful and artistic atmosphere.
She painted Mexican-inspired murals and chalk art in the bathrooms and seating area. One of the murals and the restaurant’s logo depict dogs, as the name Kokobo’s comes from the couple’s two dogs, Koko and Bo.
“We really want to create an atmosphere that is welcoming with some cool artwork,” Guilbeault said. “That’s what we want when people walk in here. Basically, welcome to our pack.”
Guilbeault said the new business will have zero effect on his coaching job, which he said is his passion.
“It’s something I’m lucky I get to do,” he said. “I love it, [and it’s] something I get to do for myself. I love interacting with players, and I’m proud to be at Old Rochester Regional High School. I think it’s the best school in the country.”
In fact, his coaching experience has transferable skills with restaurant management.
“The same messages that I preach at football are going to be the same messages I preach here at Kokobo’s: teamwork,” he said.
