Brittany and Danny Alcala are moving forward with their third restaurant in the Chattanooga area, while also planning the move of their flagship eatery.
The couple opened Embargo '62 on Frazier Avenue in August 2015, and later helped anchor the growing mixed-use Cambridge Square development with their rum bar Ceniza in Ooltewah.
In a departure from their Cuban-inspired locales, Red Sauce will open its doors in North Chattanooga in October.
"With Embargo we want to transport people to Havana, with cigars, rum and authentic Cuban food. Red Sauce is going to do the same but be right out of New York," Brittany Alcala said.
The duo, along with their Miami-based hospitality group Roc Beach, had originally planned a meatball and cocktail bar, called Mad Love, to open around fall 2016, but Brittany Alcala said that after talking with locals about what they wanted in a neighborhood eatery, the concept grew and required revisions.
"We've brainstormed and we thought we should expand our goal," she said.
That goal, she continued, is to take people to the heart of Little Italy in New York City. The food menu will heavily feature Italian-American classics like calamari, baked pastas and, of course, meatballs: on their own, in pasta and in sub sandwiches. While Cuban food is part of the Miami transplants' heritage, Italian-American cuisine has been a big favorite of the Alcalas, and they saw an opportunity on the North Shore for such a restaurant.
The menu will also prominently feature craft cocktails, a specialty of the Alcalas' and their restaurants. Embargo '62 and Ceniza both have customized cocktails on their menus designed by Roc Beach's own bartenders, and Red Sauce will be no different.
While their original concept Mad Love was zeroed in on meatballs, Red Sauce will have a varied lunch menu to attract a mid-afternoon crowd, and numerous vegetarian options to cater to those who love Italian but aren't big on meat.
"People who were excited about Mad Love should be even more so now," Brittany Alcala said. "This is the same general concept, but we've pushed it to offer more to more people."
Red Sauce is projected to open on Kent Street in early October. She said they hoped for an earlier date, but couldn't do a soft opening before their liquor license paperwork was finalized.
Plans are also being finalized for Embargo '62's move to a new three-story, 18,000-square-foot building at 325 Cherokee Blvd. The new location will feature a bigger kitchen, which will translate into an expanded menu. It will also offer more seating, dedicated parking, and a stage for live entertainment.
The new location will open in late fall.