New Crown Heights Restaurant 'Sunday Routine' Coming to St. Marks and Nostrand

CROWN HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — Becca Brennan used to be a lawyer, but she said she's always dreamed of running a restaurant. In a few months, "Sunday Routine" will bring that dream to life in Crown Heights.

Brennan said the new restaurant, opening in December at 637 Nostrand Ave., will serve lunch and dinner, offering a variety of sandwiches and tapas-style shared small plates.

The menu will rotate over time, with an emphasis on seasonal and local ingredients, she said, but everything will be "well crafted and creative."

Brennan said she also intends to offer a selection of beer and wine. On Thursday, Community Board 8's full membership voted to support the owner's liquor license application to the State Liquor Authority (SLA).

Sunday Routine will be open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Brennan also said she will be hiring several staffers, including a chef, in the months ahead.

On Tuesday, the restaurant was discussed at CB8's licensing subcommittee.

Brennan had requested outdoor seating, but several residents expressed concerns that the tables and chairs would block the sidewalk. The committee asked Brennan to drop that part of her application for the time being, and bring it back for further consideration later, which she said she will. (Brennan said she wants to put a few tables on St. Marks Avenue in the spring, adding that the sidewalk is wide enough to accommodate pedestrians and diners.)

Two other residents at the subcommittee meeting raised the issue of whether another business serving alcohol on the street would further change the area's family feel. They also worried that Brennan's venture could force out existing small businesses.

But Brennan said the property has been vacant for three years, and argued that rather than displacing small businesses, she was a small business owner herself. She also said she intends to hire people from the community.

Because the restaurant would be the third alcohol-serving property within a 500-foot radius, its application must receive a special hearing before the SLA. That meeting will take place at the agency's Manhattan offices, and community board members encouraged any concerned locals to attend.

James Ellis, who chairs CB8's licensing committee, said at the Tuesday meeting that the committee aims to be "mindful of the neighbors" around proposed businesses. At the same time, he said, the board wants to "give opportunities" to entrepreneurs "that are ready to invest" in new ventures.

Pictured at top: 637 Nostrand Ave. Photo by John V. Santore