New Craft Cocktail Establishment Taking Over Café Rani

On Monday, Eater reported that Café Rani was shuttering after a long run at their Magazine location, which actually turns out to be true, kind of. It's a switcheroo really, and a rather exciting one at that: Where Yat's Anne Barry reports that the space is currently being revamped into an establishment that will try to bridge the gap between cocktail bar and restaurant. A phone call to the space's current owner Justus Jagger verifies it.

Jagger tells Eater he acquired the space around Halloween, and his team (including several former Tonique bartenders) is hoping to open for business by mid-December. Jagger is no stranger to opening and operating bars. He ran his own bar in Charleston, The Tin Roof, for several years, and has also worked for Ed Diaz (who is not involved with this project) at Bar Tonique and partnered with him at Serendipity (Jagger is a co-owner of that restaurant and also helped build the gorgeous bar there).

The restaurant will be lead by Tonique alum Michelle McMahon and Geoffrey Wilson at the bar, and Johnathan Lestingi, formely of Stella, in the kitchen. Here's Anne Barry's take on it all:

The farm-to-table restaurant will source locally, though its most interesting appeal is having two distinct menus: a daily brunch that runs well into the afternoon, and a late-night dinner menu.

There will be table service only at first, as they'll open with only a service bar. There's plans to expand to a full bar later. The restaurant has yet to be named at this time.

· Local Talent Revamping Former Café Rani [WhereYat]
· All Switcheroos [-ENOLA-]