Point Richmond's beloved Hotel Mac will have an operating restaurant again soon.

The local restaurateurs behind Richmond's Mi Casa Grill confirmed to Hoodline that they'll be opening a new eatery in the hotel space. The restaurant should open as soon as May if all goes according to plan, Mi Casa Grill staff said. It will be called Biancoverde and will serve Italian cuisine.

The Hotel Mac is located in the heart of downtown Point Richmond, a neighborhood of Richmond that looks and feels like a small town from another era. Built in 1911, it's listed in the National Register of Historic Buildings.

The restaurant is located on the hotel's main floor and was widely popular after a 1970s renovation that restored it to its early-20th-century glory. However, the spot closed down early in the pandemic and has been empty for the last few years, with locals bemoaning the loss of a favorite gathering space along a main drag of Point Richmond.

Now, it's been leased to chef Juvenal Magaña and his wife Blanca, who have already begun preparing the hotel's restaurant space to open later this spring. "It’s going to be super cute inside," promised Mi Casa Grill server and friend of the couple Andres Orduno, who's been involved in the project. "It’s an iconic building."

Interior of the Hotel Mac. | Photo: Hotel Mac

The couple opened Mi Casa Grill (12056 San Pablo Ave.) just over a year ago, breathing new life into a long-empty space at the edge of a Grocery Outlet parking lot at San Pablo and Macdonald avenues in Richmond by the El Cerrito border. Under the leadership of chef Juvenal, the restaurant serves "Mexican comfort food" like crowd-favorite quesabirria, along with some South American twists like Salvadorean pupusas and Venezuelan empanadas.

With cute decor, covered sidewalk dining, and specialty cocktails and aguas frescas, the restaurant has drawn crowds to the formerly dilapidated storefront. There was a line to be seated on Wednesday night, as well as a steady stream of diners picking up takeout. In addition to dinner, the restaurant serves breakfast six days a week (closed Mondays) and features specials like taco Tuesdays. 

Inside Mi Casa Grill. | Photo: Laila Weir/Hoodline

View of the Mi Casa Grill from San Pablo Avenue. |  Photo: Laila Weir/Hoodline

 

The space recently drew locals to a celebration of its one-year anniversary, complete with mariachi.

Now, the couple, who are both Richmond natives, will bring their flair to the historic Point Richmond eatery. It's fitting for a local Richmond couple to bring the beloved space back to life, Orduno commented. "The owners were born in Richmond. She [Blanca] went to Richmond High," Orduno shared with Hoodline. "It’s a full circle of people who grew up in the community owning restaurants here."

The Hotel Mac Restaurant and Bar is located at 50 Washington Ave., Point Richmond. More information at www.thehotelmac.com.