New Bar Plan For Johnny Mack's Wins Support Of Park Slope Board

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — Plans for a new bar and restaurant to replace longtime Eighth Avenue watering hole Johnny Mack's has won the support of Community Board 6.

The board's Executive Committee, which fills in for full board votes during its July recess, voted Tuesday to support the application to transfer Johnny Mack's liquor license to new owners, who plan to open an eatery named "Honeysuckle" at the storefront.

The vote comes after Community Board 6's Permits and Licenses Committee voted to support the application last week.

The new eatery would be run by local restaurateurs Georgia and Kevin Read, who also own Alchemy in Park Slope and Hamilton's in Windsor Terrace, both of which have been open around a decade.

Both the Reads and the current Johnny Mack's owners told Patch last week that they could not reveal more details about the switch until it was finalized. No contracts had been signed between the owners as of the vote last week, they said.

Should the plans on the liquor license application pull through, the new bar will include 23 indoor tables, a nine-seat bar and six outdoor tables, according to the application.

A sample menu shows the eatery would serve breakfast and brunch, including an "Irish Benedict," Shakshuka and avocado toast. The dinner line-up includes appetizers ranging from fresh oysters to vegan nachos and a list of entrees, including a pizza and flatbread menu.

The liquor license would allow the restaurant to stay open until 4 a.m., though Georgia Read told the committee the operating hours would close the eatery several hours earlier. The outdoor area would close at 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and midnight on weekends, per neighborhood rules, according to the committee meeting.

The application will ultimately be decided by the State Liquor Authority.