Black Ant, a modern Mexican restaurant, is slated to open in the East Village next month at 60 Second Ave. between Third and Fourth avenues.
The 2,800-square-foot location will have four different dining areas — a small lounge that seats 15 with an additional 15 seats at the bar, two dining rooms seating a total of 60 plus an open garden that will seat 40.
Black Ant also will feature a private dining room with 25 seats.
Owners Jorge Guzman and Mario Hernandez, the general manager and executive chief, respectively, are in talks to launch a Mexican restaurant in the West Village called Bacanora, which is named after a plant that grows in Mexico’s Sonora province. The duo also own Ofrenda in the West Village.
BR Guest Hospitality has named James Gersten CEO and president. The New York-based company was founded by restaurant pioneer Steve Hanson in 1987.
Hanson’s empire began on the Upper East Side with Coconut Grill and expanded with Isabella’s, Blue Water Grill and The Dos Caminos chain along with other NYC restaurants and also expanded into Las Vegas, Atlantic City and Florida.
Hanson sold a stake in the company in 2007 to Starwood Capital Group for a reported $150 million. Gersten oversaw the expansion of NYC steakhouse Smith & Wollensky and founded the celebrity friendly La Esquina in New York.
The new CEO is the former president of Culinary Concepts Hospitality Group, a partnership between Starwood Hotels and celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and operator of concepts including Spice Market and J+G Steakhouse.