There are two televisions at Tropical restaurant in Vineyard Haven, one tuned to CNN, the other to Brazilian soccer. Construction workers pack the place around noon, load up their plates with veggies from the salad bar and barbecued steak and chicken. Parents bring their kids, who like the idea of deciding what to put on their plate, even with the usual parental guidance.

“I like talking to people,” Tropical co-owner Johnnatans Costa said. “I love my job.”

Just as many dining options across the Island are beginning to close up shop for the season, a new restaurant in the former David Ryan’s space on North Water street opened last month with every intention of serving the year-round population.

The goals for new Edgartown restaurant Eleven North are simple: keep it local, keep it fun and keep it open year-round.

With a “casual downstairs” and “a little more chic with more New York city and Miami” upstairs, the restaurant hopes to please a broad spectrum of patrons for both lunch and dinner.

Now is always a good time to market a quality product, say a number of Island entrepreneurs opening new businesses this summer.

"Our idea ... was to kind of seize the moment," said Frank Pellegrino, opening a Mexican restaurant where Lawry's seafood restaurant used to be in Edgartown.

He said that he and partner Denise Page didn't want uncertain economic times to deter them from taking the lease to a valuable piece of property: Not many businesses come with parking lots attached, he said.

The West Tisbury zoning board of appeals on Wednesday unanimously agreed to allow well-known restaurateurs Mary and Jackson Kenworth to expand the footprint of the former Deon’s restaurant on State Road, approving plans for a new 2,170-square-foot year-round restaurant.

The board earlier this month cited a town bylaw which restricts commercial use in a residential zone to 2,000 square feet and expressed concern about the viability of the plan submitted by the Kenworths, who own and operate the popular Slice of Life Café in Oak Bluffs.

Michael Lieberman has taken over ownership of the Mememsha deli on Basin Road at an interesting — not to say daunting — time.

With fuel prices spiking, the number of boats moored at the harbor town were down in the preseason months and food costs were up. Mr. Lieberman has found himself swallowing some of the costs since buying the place in February.

Eating a cheap meal out on the Vineyard can be a challenge, but with the second annual restaurant week scheduled to start on Saturday, Islanders and visitors alike will have the chance to dine out and still hang on to most of their weekly paycheck.

A long list of restaurants that includes the Sweet Life Café in Oak Bluffs, Chesca’s in Edgartown, Lambert’s Cove Inn in West Tisbury, Zephrus in Vineyard Haven and many more will be serving prix-fixe lunches and dinners from June 20 to June 24.

A wide circle of friends showed up Tuesday night for an 80th summer celebration at Giordano’s Restaurant in Oak Bluffs. The anniversary party brought out more than 100 well-wishers over the course of the evening.

The Edgartown zoning board of appeals approved a special permit for a new restaurant on South Water street on Wednesday with conditions.

Brothers Patrick and Ted Courtney plan to convert a greenhouse tucked off South Water street into a restaurant. The original plan called for outdoor seating for 40 people and indoor seating for 20, but the seating plan was cut down to 49 yesterday in order to avoid the need for possible review by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission. The Courtneys hope to be open by July 1.