A co-founder of the Japanese speakeasy cocktail bar Hard to Explain in the East Village is branching out to debut his own “beer bar.”
Masahiro Kuniya is seeking the vacant first floor space at 116 Eldridge Street in the Lower East Side to house his yet-to-be-named beer bar concept. It is slated to offer beer, wine and cider with a limited food menu and recorded music. The New York City-based Japanese street wear designer co-found Hard to Explain with restaurateur Chin Mong last year, as previously reported by What Now New York. Kuniya sells his street wear shirts for $50, which can be found on his Instagram page.
Mong is behind a handful of other concepts including The Pastry Box and Sip + Co. He is also set to debut his third unrevealed East Village cafe concept by the end of the year, which he described to What Now New York as a “a cafe by day, and a wine and saki bar by night that has a “more cozy, chill vibe,” but is also “classy,” “a bit more vibrant,” and, above all, “more East Village.” The new yet-to-be-named concept is slated to host and highlight local indie musicians and comedy acts.
