DOWNTOWN, BROOKLYN — A famed steakhouse that used to attract the likes of Mae West and Truman Capote will reopen its doors as early as this fall, thanks to more than $400,000 raised in an online crowdfunding campaign.
A team of three Brooklyn restauranteurs have announced that they will reopen Gage and Tollner, which once stood on Fulton Street for 125 years before closing in 2004. The new owners will revive Gage and Tollner's oyster and chophouse menu with a modern take, hopefully returning it to a neighborhood and city-wide staple.
"For generations and across three centuries, Gage & Tollner was where families celebrated weddings, bar mitzvahs, and anniversaries; where Borough Hall pols feasted on oysters and chops; where judges and lawyers hashed out deals over broiled clam bellies and under flickering gaslight," the team said on their crowdfunding page. "We want Gage & Tollner to reclaim its place as a vital part of the life of the borough and bring glory to Brooklyn once more."
The team will be led by founder St. John Frizelli, who owns Fort Defiance in Red Hook. Ben Schneider, owner of The Good Fork, will join as partner, with his wife and classically trained chef, Sohui Kim, leading the kitchen.
Gage and Tollner, originally founded in 1879, was the third interior ever, and first restaurant, to be landmarked by the city, following the New York Public Library and Grant's Tomb. The exterior is also landmarked.
The team said this means the original structure has already been preserved.
The revived restaurant will use this historic structure to create a 70-seat dining room, a 40-seat bar area, two combinable private dining rooms seating up to 60, and a separate 30-seat tropical cocktail bar upstairs, according to the crowdfunding page.
The team has raised $405,000 of their $400,000 and signed the lease for the 372 Fulton Street spot late last week. They hope to continue to raise up to $600,000.
Investors include 275 people who contributed at least $1,000 each. The investments will be paid back once the restaurant gets up and running and through a 4 percent revenue share of the business.
Photo provided by GoogleMaps.
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