Matt Abramcyk continues to add to his ever expanding empire. A tipster told Eater over the weekend that the Warren 77 and Smith and Mills owner would be opening a subterranean bar beneath the triangle building that already houses B.R. Guests' Dos Caminos Meatpacking and 675 Bar. Might this be a partnership between the hipster friendly Abramcyk and Steve Hanson. Not quite. Abramcyk has partnered with Ari Ellis, owner of Ara Wine Bar and the entire Triangle building, and will be opening a 4,000 square foot upscale lounge that will serve small plates and charcuterie in a former vault 40 feet beneath 9th Avenue. Ellis has done most of the heavy lifting getting the space ready, and after an introduction by mutual friends, enlisted Abramcyk to design and run the lounge.
Ellis tells us that he has been working on the project for more than six years, and first discovered the space when a curbstone on 9th Avenue began to fall into the street. The vault was originally built in 1840 and was used as a foundry, closing for good sometime around 1920. Once he was able to prove that the space was part of his property, he began the lengthy process to bring the space up to code. Ellis says that doing any kind of work below a public street is "extremely complicated and challenging", and the engineering is "insane", but the end is near.
Ellis estimates that the space will be a finished white box in about six weeks, at which time Abramcyk will begin the build out of the lounge. The space is already fully licensed and the partners have narrowed down the list of possible names to two or three finalists. Ellis expects the bar to be ready to open in September.
· Smith and Mills Operator Takes Bouley's Leftovers [~ENY~]