A new neighborhood restaurant has opened in the long vacant Alameda space at 195 Franklin St, which closed in 2020 due to the pandemic. Leroy’s serves cocktails, small bites and hearty dishes like seafood and burgers, in a convivial setting that extends to the sidewalk on Franklin St.
“Leroy’s is a neighborhood bistro and cocktail bar from two chefs that have been working in New York City for close to ten years now,” explains Esteban Castilo, Office & Events Manager at Leroy’s. The team opened their first restaurant Chez Nick, three weeks before the pandemic hit, realizing a dream after catering for close to three years in order to raise enough money to start their first restaurant. Now, the duo have a second eatery in Greenpoint, riding on the success of their first opening.
“Chez Nick was wonderfully supported and accepted by the neighborhood of Yorkville and made it through the pandemic thanks to perseverance and a great team,” Castilo said. “Without the initial acceptance we would not have made it as we had literally just opened.”
The idea for Leroy’s was born last winter, when so many restaurants that held on over the summer were shutting down. One of the chefs, who lives in Greenpoint, didn’t want to see another shuttered corner, so they decided to open a new spot and be a part of the reopening of the city after such a dark time throughout the pandemic. “[We want] to be there for the neighborhoods we love,” Castilo said.