Roberta’s Locks In Deal to Open at Williamsburg’s Domino Development

It’s official: Roberta’s is opening a second Brooklyn location in Williamsburg.

The famed Bushwick pizzeria that helped turn the industrial area into a dining destination has signed on for a space at 260 Kent Ave., part of the sprawling Domino development along the South Williamsburg waterfront. Developer Two Trees had said that the deal was close to being finalized earlier this month.

The seminal wood-fired pizza restaurant will open in fall of 2019 on the ground floor, along with the rest of the 42-story building. Roberta’s co-owner Brandon Hoy says in a statement that his team sees it as “an incredible opportunity to be a part of a vibrant and dynamic community’s continual evolution,” similar to the way that Roberta’s played a role in transforming Bushwick when it opened a decade ago.

But it’s a dramatically different setting from the original location. The restaurant rose to fame for a DIY attitude, turning old manufacturing buildings into an artsy party destination with food that’s simultaneously high-minded and cheeky. The 260 Kent Ave. building — with its sky-high size and modern, Tetris-looking design — is a far more glossy affair.

Rendering by Cookfox

Two Trees has been loud about its effort to bring in restaurateurs from the area. Missy Robbins of Lilia will have a restaurant here — she too joined in an attempt to be “part of the redefinition of a neighborhood” — as will Clinton Hill grocer and bar Mekelburg’s. Danny Meyer is responsible for the sole outdoor concession in Domino Park, a taco stand called Tacocina, though it’s been criticized as still not local enough.

Jed Walentas, the principal of the developer, says in a statement that he thinks Roberta’s will help create an “authentic neighborhood experience” in the area, which previously housed lots of industrial buildings and former DIY venues.

This will be the third full-service location for Roberta’s; the company, which now has frozen pies and spaces in food halls and markets, is also building a Los Angeles outpost.