EastBridge Out at 247 Eldridge; Replacement Rumors Abound [Updated]
So much for delivering on promises of being a “neighborhood bar” over at 247 Eldridge Street. After Matt Levine ditched the property to start Sons of Essex last spring, EastBridge moved in as successor. The goal of the then new establishment, as imparted by co-owners Sean Hughes and Matt Dino, was to be the opposite of exclusivity. A Cheers, so to speak, where everyone might not know your name.
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But the watering hole seemingly fell on bad times recently, and quietly shuttered within the last couple weeks. The security gates have been drawn for much of the interim period, with the only sign of activity being change-of-venue announcements for people who had previously scheduled parties there. One Yelper was pissed because she planned her birthday here three months ago. Lesson learned, dude.
Meanwhile, sources are now telling us that the tentative title of the joint is IMOK (“If Mother Only Knew”), and that it’ll be a club with DJ Wednesdays through Sundays. Interior renovations are already underway with a tentative opening date slated for the usual cop-out of a “couple weeks.” Adding even more fuel to the proverbial fire, though, are juicy rumors that “lifestyle” hoteliers King & Grove (The Surf Lodge, Ruschmeyer’s) are behind the new venture here. We have an email out to their people to confirm, but have yet to hear back. UPDATE: The bar owner Marcus Bifaro wrote in to confirm that neither King & Grove nor Surf Lodge have anything to do with the venture:
I am the beverage director from surflodge so maybe thats where the confusion comes from. Also, it is not a club by any means. We are a bar with great cocktails, that will have a dj on fridays and saturday nights. We hope to open in early december.
Quickie closure scorecard: 6 months
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