A popular Bushwick sports bar is planning its first expansion. Clara’s plans to open in Gramercy at 393 Second Avenue in the space that formerly housed McSwiggan’s.
This will be the first location for the brand since owner Eric Borg opened the original location in 2016. Borg told What Now New York that he wanted to expand to Manhattan because he has roots there, growing up only a few blocks away from the forthcoming Gramercy location. He was attracted to the neighborhood for the sports bar concept because he feels it will have the target age demographic — mid- to late twenties — that he is looking for.
Clara’s Gramercy will be in a 1,300-square-foot space. Customers can expect to see design elements like exposed brick and plenty of televisions for sports viewing. Unlike the Bushwick location, this spot will not have a kitchen.
In Gramercy, Borg hopes that he is able to replicate the same atmosphere and community feel that he has achieved in Bushwick.
“My goal was to open for everyone a home away from home, like ‘Cheers,’ and truthfully I got that. Obviously, I was very lucky and the community embraced me,” Borg said. “It’s always represented the neighborhood and I’m hoping to do the same here.”
He is targeting an opening later this summer.
Eventually, he hopes to expand the brand further. He envisions opening another Clara’s in a different neighborhood in New York in the next few years, with areas like the Upper East Side, Upper West Side, Astoria and Jackson Heights serving as regions of interest for him.
