F.O.B. Founders Look to Former Bella Gioia Space in Brooklyn for New Outpost

“This is a great location …, which has [recently] undergone a major rezoning with brand new developments and retail businesses,” James Monteleone, who repped both parties in the transaction, said in a statement. “The interior of the space is very unique and rustic, with plenty of exposed brick, and wood. It was a pleasure to be a part of this transaction and help the restaurant industry.”

The asking rent at the space was $67 per square foot, according to Monteleone with All Points Real Estate.

Litiatco, born and raised in San Francisco and a classically trained chef, and Kiranbay, originally from Ankara, Turkey, opened F.O.B. in Carroll Gardens at 271 Smith Street in 2017.  It’s unclear what the new restaurant will be and they did not immediately respond to a request for comment on their new venture.

The decision to open a restaurant comes as the nation recovers on the job front from the downturn of the pandemic, with eateries being slower to come around than other industries, Commercial Observer recently reported.  

A total of 276,800 restaurant jobs in the restaurant industry were tallied by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli in May, compared to the 324,900 jobs the industry had in December 2019.

Much of the lagging return was attributed to leftover debt incurred at the height of the pandemic while many establishments simultaneously fell behind in sales that office workers and tourism once generated, Andrew Rigie, executive director of the New York City Hospitality Alliance, told CO at the time.

Mark Hallum can be reached at mhallum@commercialobserver.com.