Spring has officially arrived in New York, and you know what that means. Birds are hatching, flowers are blooming, and New Yorkers are emerging from hibernation, ready to tackle all the season’s newest restaurants.
Quality Branded is an acclaimed hospitality company from father-son restaurateurs Alan and Michael Stillman. Originally founded as Fourth Wall Restaurants in 2007, the company rebranded in 2016 to more closely align with their vision for growth. Alan Stillman was behind one of the most iconic steakhouses operating in the city today, Smith & Wollensky, which has been serving up some of the best steaks in Manhattan since 1977. As Quality Branded, Michael and Alan have also brought to life recognizable upscale concepts like Quality Bistro, Park Avenue, and the Michelin-starred Don Angie.
Now, Michael and the Quality Branded team are gearing up to debut a brand new concept in Greenwich Village. The new restaurant, which has yet to be officially named, will be opening up at 235 West 12th Street, replacing Wallflower. Wallflower was a popular New American restaurant from Xavier Herit and Jared Stafford-Hill that operated from 2013 to the end of 2019.
Operating under the corporate name Uncle Biagio LLC, the new restaurant is described as a “small plate Italian restaurant”. The location offers about 1,200 square feet of space between the ground floor and basement, and is expected to be able to seat about 28 guests inside at one time. In addition, the team is also applying for approval for an outdoor café, which will enable them to add an additional 20 seats, seriously upgrading the total capacity.
Stillman and the Quality Branded team are currently in the process of acquiring a new liquor license for the space and are proposing operating hours of 11:00 AM – 12:00 AM Sunday through Wednesday, and 11:00 AM – 1:00 AM Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Given the reasonable hours and the team’s long history of critical success, it seems unlikely that the community board will find any objections with their proposal. While the team is not ready to share further details at this moment, you can check out Quality Branded’s impressive portfolio of restaurants on their website to get a sense of what to expect.
