A still-unnamed Mexican restaurant from the team behind Celestine and Grand Army is headed to Dumbo’s mural-covered 5 Front Street, a space locals have been eyeing for years thanks to its big backyard and postcard-ready waterfront views. Recent filings suggest the project is finally moving ahead, and while organizers say the concept is still in early days, the paperwork hints at a target opening sometime this summer.
Licensing and plans
According to WhatNow, a liquor-license notice filed with Brooklyn Community Board 2 lists Julian Brizzi as the operator and pins the project to the colorful ground-floor unit at 5 Front St. The application outlines roughly 2,000 square feet of indoor dining, plus additional outdoor seating, and proposes hours of 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Minutes from the community board meeting cited in the notice indicate the team is aiming to open by early June.
Owner's track record
Julian Brizzi is already a familiar name in Brooklyn dining circles, as he helped launch Celestine on the Dumbo waterfront and co-owns Grand Army, among other neighborhood projects. Eater covered Celestine’s debut and Brizzi’s role there, while Greenpointers reports that he is also planning an Italian restaurant called Carina in Greenpoint. That blend of event-friendly venues and neighborhood spots could end up shaping both the menu and the service style at the new Mexican venture.
Site history and what comes next
Directory listings show that 5 Front Street previously housed Gran Eléctrica, which is now marked closed, leaving a sizable, waterfront-ready restaurant space open for a new tenant. Restaurantji and other local guides list Gran Eléctrica as closed. The liquor-license process starts with a 30-day notice and review by the local community board before the State Liquor Authority makes its decision, a sequence outlined by Brooklyn CB5.
Brizzi told WhatNow that the plan is “still in its infancy” and that there are few details ready to share. If the team sticks to its timeline, Dumbo residents could see a new Mexican option on the waterfront by early June, pending community board review and State Liquor Authority approval.
