The Team Behind One Popular Charlestown Restaurant Will Open Another

Charlestown’s Navy Yard Bistro (1 6th St., Boston) will close in its current location at the end of August after 15 years, and the team behind another popular Charlestown restaurant, Brewer’s Fork, plans to take over the space and open something new there.

Brewer’s Fork co-owner Michael Cooney confirmed the news to Eater, noting that the team is not exactly sure what the new restaurant will be but that they “really enjoy Charlestown and the folks who live here, so [they] are super excited to bring a new concept to the area.”

The restaurant would give chef and co-owner John Payne the chance to focus on something aside from the wood-fired pizzas that have helped popularize the four-year-old Brewer’s Fork, the team told the Charlestown Patriot-Bridge, describing the forthcoming restaurant as “an American bistro.”

The space will reportedly undergo substantial renovations under the stewardship of the Brewer’s Fork team. They’ll also have to figure out what to do about drinks: Navy Yard Bistro’s liquor license will not be available for purchase, so the Brewer’s Fork team will have to look elsewhere. Brewer’s Fork is known, in part, for its excellent beer list; Cooney is also an alum of one of the Boston area’s best beer bars, the Publick House. But for the new restaurant, the team reportedly plans to follow in the footsteps of the Navy Yard Bistro and showcase wine.

Navy Yard Bistro has been in operation since August 2004, serving new American cuisine. Owner John Moore told the Charlestown Patch late last year that he did’t want to close, but the landlord wasn’t interested in renewing the lease. At the time, Moore said that he planned to find a new space in Charlestown to reopen — ideally a bigger space that would allow him to add sushi to the menu. He hasn’t announced further plans at this time.

After realizing that he wouldn’t be keeping the restaurant open in its current location, Moore contacted the Brewer’s Fork team to ask if they’d like to expand into the space once the Navy Yard Bistro closes.

“John came to Brewer’s Fork and said he wasn’t renewing his lease and wanted to see if we wanted to take it over,” Michael Cooney told the Charlestown Patriot-Bridge. “He’s always been very close to us and was very helpful when we opened Brewer’s Fork.”

Navy Yard Bistro will close on August 31, and the new restaurant could open early next year.

• Brewer’s Fork Team May Open New Restaurant in Navy Yard Bistro Space in Charlestown [BRT]
• Charlestown’s Navy Yard Bistro To Close [CP]
• Brewer’s Fork Owners Look to Expand to Navy Yard Bistro Location [CPB]
• Brewer’s Fork Coverage on Eater [EBOS]