Justin Timberlake to Bring BBQ Back (As If It Ever Left)
A couple of weeks ago we informed you that a mystery Grammy performer had just closed a deal to open a restaurant in the former home of Il Monello. Now we can tell you that man is none other than Justin Timberlake. According to the exclusive broker for both sides, James Famularo of NYCRS, the Tennessee boy plans to open what’s described as a laid-back, festive barbecue joint called Southern Hospitality. As with his first restaurant Destino, the shaved showman will partner with Eytan Sugarman, owner of bygone clubs Suede and producer Timbaland’s Harlem venture Cherry Lounge. Famularo says that Timberlake will have a larger stake in the new place: “I heard a lot of people with Tennessee accents,” he said of a recent drop-in. “Justin is bringing a lot of his group up to be a part of this.” If all goes as planned, the opening will coincide with the conclusion of the FutureSex/LoveSounds tour in late April. — Daniel Maurer
Earlier: Mystery Grammy Performer Set to Rock the Upper East Side
NewsFeed
Mystery Grammy Performer Set to Rock the Upper East SideIt seems that Justin Timberlake’s restaurant Destino won’t be the only joint owned by one of last night’s Grammy performers. Broker James Famularo of New York Commercial Real Estate Services says he has inked a deal to bring one of the ceremony’s marquee names into a 3,000-square-foot Upper East Side space that will open as a loungy restaurant as early as mid-April. We’re thinking it’s the sole Upper East Side location advertised in the broker’s online listings, the former home of Il Monello. Famularo himself isn’t spilling specifics beyond saying a major interior designer is aboard and construction under way. NYC-rooted songsters besides Timberlake (a possibility) include Beyoncé, Christina Aguilera, Mary J. Blige, Wyclef Jean, and (long shots) Danger Mouse of Gnarls Barkley and John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Or maybe the Dixie Chicks are partnering in Tim Love’s next one? —Daniel Maurer
