The owners of Beefbar are developing an original restaurant for the former Sarabeth’s space at 339 Greenwich and Jay, after first launching plans for a franchise out of Milan. The new restaurant, called Ludico Tribeca, will be an Italian restaurant helmed by chef Nelson Gonzalez. They offered first bites at Taste of Tribeca.

Mahween Rahman and her sons Aqib and Tareef were nice enough to give me a tour — even with the space under construction. (These pictures are from May 20, so they are much farther along now. And where did those six weeks go?) Longtime Tribecan David Rockwell designed it to have 150 total seats in the front on Greenwich. The plan removes the bar that was once part of Sarabeth’s front room and instead builds out an even longer one in the back room that exits on Jay.

Main dining room on Greenwich

They have kept the vaulted ceilings in that old Bazzini building, and created what they are calling the wine room in the passage between the two spaces. There will also be a private dining room in the interior space, which has an old-school skylight.

They are planning a monumental art work for the north wall in the front room and the space will have art from local galleries Andrew Kreps and Nino Mier throughout.

Bar area on Jay

The concept is Italian, but it is not beholden to it. “It will be through the lens of a New York family,” Mahween said. “It won’t be a typical red sauce joint.”

“As we were running Beefbar as a franchise, a lot of the feedback was we want something more local — more new and fresh,” she added.

They plan to stock 3000 bottles, so people can come in and explore something new — “not just country club wines,” Tareef said. That was something the family missed in the city — not just a cellar, but a place with some atmosphere to enjoy the wine as well. The wine room, they said, will be like a little jewel box.

The wine room

The opening is about three months away — maybe not long after Labor Day, they are hoping — the equipment is all in (the kitchen is in the basement) and everything is in place. There are plans for lunch and outdoor dining as well as options for parties in the back room.

And when this settles down they want to expand to other spots, including launching an izikaya, or Japanese pub somewhere in the neighborhood.

“It’s been exciting to put our own concept together,” Mahween said. “With a franchise you have to listen to people who don’t live here. They don’t know the appetites or the rhythms of this city.”