Williamsburg

Former Williamsburg nightclub to become izakaya and event space

October 17, 2019 Scott Enman
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A new izakaya and events venue is being planned for 74 Wythe Ave. in the former building of iconic Williamsburg nightclub Output, which closed earlier this year after roughly six years.

The 18,000-square-foot space, with a 772-person capacity, will feature a ballroom, a cocktail lounge, a large terrace and an izakaya — a Japanese-style gastropub.

The restaurant will serve sushi, ramen and pork buns, and the ballroom will host corporate gatherings and social events like weddings and bar mitzvahs.

The roof, with a capacity of just under 300, will have retractable glass similar to the Apple Store’s signature design, according to representative Joshua Kaiser, who presented the plans at a Community Board 1 meeting on Oct. 10.

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The venue and rooftop will be open until 2 a.m., but Kaiser assured residents that the music on the terrace, as well as throughout the building, would not be loud.

“The former tenant was not popular for their sounds,” he said. “We have taken out a $1.5 million sound system. We’re replacing it, and have full intention to have largely ambient sound projected in all of these rooms. These are meant to be events that you can attend and have a conversation and be heard when you speak.”

Kaiser said that in an effort to reduce traffic buildup on Wythe Avenue, his group added three additional entrances on North 12th Street: one for staff, another serving the events space and a third connecting to the cocktail lounge. “We’ve diverted 70 percent conservatively of traffic that was stopping on Wythe Avenue and moved it to a side street,” he said.

Kaiser said his group hoped to offer the space to nonprofits to host fundraising events, and he said they look forward to being an “active participant in the community” and to hire locally.

“There’s no reason why, if we have a florist two blocks down that is meeting the needs of our clients, that we would go to Jersey City to find a florist. We’re interested in helping to make this area thrive,” he said.

The venue does not have an official name, but is doing business as Space Factory Williamsburg, according to CB1.

Output, which closed on Jan. 1, was a staple of the house and techno scene, becoming Brooklyn’s first full-sized licensed venue dedicated to the music genre when it opened in 2013.

Follow reporter Scott Enman on Twitter.


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