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Popular Inwood Wine Bar Expanding Into Larger Space Across the Street

By Lindsay Armstrong | September 15, 2014 4:29pm
 Beans and Vines will open a new location with almost triple its current space.
Beans and Vines
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INWOOD — A popular Uptown wine bar and coffee shop is planning a major expansion that will triple its current size while allowing the owner to bolster his food, drink and entertainment offerings.

Beans and Vines, which currently occupies a narrow space at 4842 Broadway, will open a new location across the street at 4799 Broadway, the site of the former New Caridad Restaurant. The new space will allow the cafe to grow from 16 seats to about 50, the owner said.

Owner Edson Familia, who goes by his middle name Alex, also plans to expand the food and drink menus and offer new features, such as live jazz on select weekends. However, he said that he wants the restaurant to retain its intimate feel.

“We’re going to make it cozy,” he said. “I don’t want to mess up my concept. I want it to be a nice, quiet place for people to come for a good meal.”

Familia, 41, a former computer engineer, also serves as the café’s main chef. Although he struggled to attract customers when he first opened in 2010, he has since earned a loyal following for his takes on classic American dishes such as crab cakes and Caesar salad, as well as small plates that nod to his Caribbean roots, including yucca fries and grilled chipotle shrimp.

Familia plans to keep his current menu, but add a few dishes each year that highlight different cultures, starting with Dominican cuisine. He also wants to remain focused on fresh ingredients.

“I use really, really fine quality products,” he said. “That’s why the restaurant stands out because people, when they eat here, they know the difference.”

Thanks to a larger kitchen and more storage space, the new Beans and Vines will also offer a daily breakfast menu and brunch on the weekends, Familia said. The restaurant currently opens at 11 a.m.

The $200,000 renovation, which Familia is financing through his own savings and bank loans, is set to begin this week and will take about two months to complete. He hopes to open the new space by mid-November.

Familia is not shutting down his original location, but plans to use it as a takeout counter and eventually as a food preparation space for catering private events. 

Familia is also applying for a full liquor license from the State Liquor Authority that would allow him to serve hard alcohol alongside the wide selection of wines he currently offers.

He understands that there may be trepidations about this in a part of the neighborhood that has a high saturation of full-service bars, but said he does not want to transform Beans and Vines into a lounge.

“My restaurant is based on my food, not on alcohol,” he said. “But I do want people to have the chance to have a good drink, like a nice whiskey, with their meal.”

Community Board 12’s Licensing Committee voted in favor of the plan for a full license last week. Familia will present before the full board on Sept. 23, with the SLA making the final determination.