A brand-new casual wine bar is getting ready to open in Hells Kitchen later this year.
The Red Stache is the latest concept to come from founders Ted Arenas and Shaun Dunn. Arenas is best known for operating Rise Bar, a popular Midtown gay bar known for its drag brunches and karaoke nights. Last year, Arenas and his team also launched The Spot, another popular queer bar located just blocks from Times Square. Coincidentally, Arenas was also the founder of Bar-Tini, whose transformation into Sushi Ichi was just covered by yours truly yesterday. Shaun Dunn meanwhile, is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and served as th General Manager for Rise Bar from 2019 to 2022.
Now, Arenas and Dunn are partnering up to launch a brand new casual wine bar and restaurant called The Red Stache. They are planning on opening The Red Stache at 781 Ninth Avenue, between West 52nd Street and West 53rd Street. The location is currently home to Casellula, a popular wine bar that operated successfully from 2007 until earlier this year. The first floor will have 37 seats with a 12′ customer bar and 9 bar stools, while the cellar will be reserved for storage. Additionally, Arenas and Dunn are looking to establish a sidewalk cafe that will add an extra 40 seats.
For the menu, The Red Stache is expected to offer a wider variety of small plates like charcuterie boards, as well as sandwiches like the French dip and flatbreads like the Hive Mind with pepperoni and mozzarella, and the Shrimp & Bacon with garlic butter and chili flakes. Of course, The Red Stache’s beverage program will be the jewel of the space, and Arenas and Dunn have assembled an incredibly wide variety of wines, beer, and cider. The Red Stache bills itself as primarily a “casual wine bar”, so you can expect an impressive beverage menu.
Arenas and Dunn are now in the process of acquiring a beer and wine license for the space, and they are proposing operating hours of 12:00 PM – 12:30 AM Monday through Wednesday, 12:00 PM – 1:00 AM on Thursday and Sunday, and 12:00 PM – 2:00 AM Friday and Saturday. Unfortunately, The Red Stache is still too early into development at this point to have its own social media presence, but we will keep you updated as the story continues to break.
