Over the past few months, Alvin Garcia and chef Adam Rosenblum, the team behind Marina restaurant Causwells, have been hard at work turning 998 Market St.—a blank slate at the base of the Warfield building—into the first location of their fast-casual burger joint, Popsons. 

But even though that restaurant isn't yet online, they've wasted no time lining up a second outpost for their brand of burgers, shakes and fries: the restaurant space at 330 Townsend St., previously home to Marlowe and Marlowe Burger.

Time is of the essence, given that the existing two-story mixed-use commercial building at 330 Townsend is expected to give way to a 21- to 26-story mixed-use residential tower next year. In light of the building's planned demolition, Marlowe owners Anna Weinberg, Jennifer Puccio, and James Nicholas moved it to a new location a few blocks away last summer. After the move, the space at 330 Townsend became Marlowe Burger, a fast-casual spot serving the restaurant's own lauded burger (which is also sold at sister restaurants Park Tavern and The Cavalier). 

After four months in business, Marlowe Burger closed last August to become a private-events space, Marlowe @ 330 Townsend. But with the holiday events season over, it appears that Weinberg, Puccio, and Nicholas have decided to pass the space on to Garcia and Rosenblum for its final act. 

Garcia confirms that negotiations are underway with the Marlowe team to operate in the space. While a lease has not been signed yet, Popsons did receive the green light to begin exploring the project's feasibility with the city and submitting the necessary paperwork (including a liquor license transfer). That way, if the deal on the space does come through, the team can turn it over fairly quickly, he said.

As for the future Mid-Market location, "we're getting there," Garcia says. Construction is underway, and neither the menu nor the official opening date have been nailed down yet.