Dalton Espaillat, founder and CEO of Raydal Hospitality, is bringing a new Dominican-style restaurant to NoDa at 416 E. 36th St.
Espaillat said MaBí Cocina Tropical will have a tropical aesthetic with high-quality cocktails and “an approachable menu” with items that will be familiar to customers, but with a Dominican twist. It will also be a nod to his own Dominican roots.
“The best way I can describe the concept is I’m inviting you into my culture and into my house, and I’m showing you that through food and through the experience,” Espaillat said.
The concept has been seven years in the making for Espaillat, who has had the idea in mind for a long time. Raydal Hospitality acquired the space last year as Italian restaurant Figo 36 with plans to revive the struggling concept.
However, Espaillat made the decision to close Figo 36 after trying to make it work for the past year. It closed its doors on July 28 to make way for MaBí Cocina Tropical.
“I think the brand was too late to turn around,” Espaillat said. “I’ve been working on this Dominican concept for a long time, so I figured this was the right time [to make a change].”
The change will be a quick flip, with the new restaurant set to open Aug. 12. The menu will include familiar foods with Dominican-inspired flavors, including charcoal chicken, Dominican hamburgers and fruity cocktails. The menu will emphasize fruit-based flavors and simplicity.
Raydal Hospitality has several other concepts, including Sabor Latin Street Grill, Three Amigos Mexican Kitchen and Cantina, La Caseta and Saru Ramen. Espaillat said that they emphasize authenticity at each location and will do the same with MaBí Cocina Tropical.
“This is not going to be an ethnic-style restaurant that is intimidating on the dishes that will be offered,” Espaillat said. “Everything is very approachable. It will be family-friendly and inviting for you to come. The cocktail program is going to be amazing. Everything we’re trying to do is going to be well-executed with quality and simplicity in mind.”
Emily McGinn is a passionate writer from the Los Angeles area. She has experience reporting on local news and the restaurant industry, and in multimedia writing for podcasts and videos. In her free time, she enjoys exploring restaurants and finding new coffee shops to try.
