JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A new restaurant promising "fresh upscale street food with a coastal vibe in a relaxed environment" plans to move into the distinctive three-story building in the heart of Five Points, according to the Florida Times-Union.
Bartaco recently signed the lease for the former Black Sheep Restaurant with its rooftop patio at 1534 Oak St., Anthony Valletta, the restaurant's president, confirmed to the Times-Union on Tuesday.
Black Sheep closed last spring after an 11-year run. Located in a modern glass-walled building, Black Sheep represented the start of a new era of dining in the historic neighborhood. Its rooftop bar, one of the first in the area, offered sweeping views of the downtown skyline and the rooftops of neighboring century-old homes.
Founded in 2010, Arlington, Virginia-based bartaco debuted its first restaurant in 2011 at Port Chester, New York. It describes itself as "being inspired by a healthy, outdoor lifestyle," featuring food and ambiance intended to evoke the beach culture of Brazil, Uruguay and Southern California.
"While we don’t have an opening date just yet, we are aiming to open sometime inspiring 2025," Valletta said.
Jacksonville will be bartaco's first Northeast Florida location and sixth in the state. The chain has 31 restaurants open from Colorado to Connecticut to South Carolina.
"When scoping out locations for bartaco, the aim is to find places where the community embodies the spirit of bartaco," Valletta said.
He said the restaurant and Five Points neighborhood will complement each other.
"We are known for creating an escape for our guests through bold flavors, freshly juiced-to-order cocktails, upbeat music, and coastal decor. Bartaco felt like a natural fit for the Five Points neighborhood of Jacksonville — it’s a diverse community known for its vibrant and eclectic atmosphere, trendy boutiques, incredible culinary scene, and historic charm," Valletta told the TU.
"We’ll plan to have approximately 98 indoor dining seats, with a U-shaped bar seating 22, rooftop seating 73 with standing room for 30, and an expansive patio seating 34," Valletta said of bartaco's planned Five Points restaurant which spans about 5,500-square feet on the ground floor including the kitchen, indoor dining area and outdoor patio. The building's approximate 3,000-square-foot rooftop patio will be a key part of bartaco's design, he said.
Valletta said the building won't need any extensive renovations.
"Our renovations will simply be cosmetic to ensure we are bringing the bartaco brand to life in this space," he said. "Like every bartaco location, we look forward to incorporating the local neighborhood feel into our designed space including sourcing decor and design elements from local artisans and thrift markets."
Besides tacos, the bartaco menu includes a variety of corn, pork and ceviche dishes in addition to cocktails, sangria, beer and wine.
Jonathan Insetta, the Jacksonville restaurateur/chef who founded Black Sheep, couldn't be reached immediately for comment.
