The Return of Freddy's!

It’s been a long road to reopen Freddy’s, but the beloved bar (and the former center of the anti-Atlantic Yards movement) has found a new home in South Slope. In a press release, manager and bartender Donald O’Finn writes, “I saw many spaces we couldn’t afford and many that were not appropriate. We had one stolen from under us. I looked at numerous spaces and seriously considered and/or negotiated seven of them, one after another, each deal inevitably falling apart. But finally we found our home. Then, while preparing the final lease after a long and very difficult negotiation, the owner of Freddy’s decided to back out of his commitment to assist in financing the new bar.”

O’Finn managed to find new financing, though, and he now co-owns the bar with Freddy’s bartenders Matt Khun and Matt Kimmet. On Thursday, they signed a lease for the former Ellis Bar and Restaurant space at 627 5th Avenue between 17th Street and 18th Street. The opening date for Freddy’s has not yet been set: “The opening of the doors is contingent on the speed and accuracy of both the State Liquor Authority and the Department of Buildings, as well as the embrace of Community Board 7.” GMAP
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Freddy’s: Where’s It Gonna Be? [Brownstoner]
Freddy’s Finds Amnesty in Park Slope [Brownstoner]
Freddy’s Gets Eviction Notice from Bruce [Brownstoner]
Freddy’s Bar: Heads Roll in Survival Fight [Brownstoner]