HELL’S KITCHEN — The Jolly Monk, a Belgian beer bar that set up shop on Ninth Avenue three years ago, will transform into the second outpost of a family-focused Astoria eatery that serves up giant, candy-topped milkshakes.
The restaurant, at 701 Ninth Ave. at the corner of West 48th Street, is being replaced by Mom’s Kitchen & Bar, the co-owner of both establishments, Brian Connell, told DNAinfo New York.
Connell and his team had been looking to open a second outpost of Mom’s — which serves up all-day breakfast, burgers and other American fare in Astoria — and ultimately decided to use the Jolly Monk space for the venture.
“[The Jolly Monk] did OK, [but] it probably should have done better considering the location, so we decided to use the location we had and rebrand the Jolly Monk as the second location for Mom’s,” he explained.
The new eatery will have the same menu as the Mom’s in Astoria, including its rotation of mix-and-match entrees and sides, as well as its “Bigmouth Shakes” sprinkled with toppings like Fruity Pebbles, Mint Oreos and Reese’s Cups, Connell said.
“It’s very much geared toward families, with big fancy milkshakes [and] a very fun kids menu,” he said.
Mom’s was named for one of Connell’s partners, who manages a gastropub called Oliver’s Astoria.
“He takes such good care of people that customers used to say, ‘You’re like our mom,’” Connell said. “Mom’s is a place where we really just try to take care of the customers and make sure they’re well taken care of.”
The new restaurant will likely open over the weekend, said Connell, adding that he was “OK” with the fact that the Jolly Monk is no more.
“If something isn’t working to its best ability, I think people need to change quickly,” he said. “There’s an awful lot of competition in Midtown — in all of New York — and if something’s not working, we have no problem trying to make it better, trying to make it different.”
