Interview: NoVY Owner Kristen MCaffery and Husband Mike Buy Noe's Cantina Space

When we heard The Basso family sold Noe's Cantina at 1199 Church St and a change of ownership of the liquor license was been posted, we tracked down the new owners who are no strangers to Noe Valley: Kristen McCaffery (née Gianaras) and her husband Mike McCaffery. You may recognize Kristen as one of the owners of NoVY and a lifelong Noe Valley resident. We were delighted to hear a local is taking over such a central restaurant space and can't wait to see it come to life.

Now that the building has closed escrow we can share what they have in mind for the space:

We understand you bought out the Noe’s Cantina restaurant and building. What are your plans for the space? Does the new restaurant have a name yet? Any changes to the layout?
Correct. We are in the very beginning stages of designing the space. We are working with ROY on the remodel and we had our first meeting with them this week! They are a firm run by two sisters (which I obviously love) and they have designed a number of our favorite restaurants (such as Beretta, Lolinda, Barzotto.) We have narrowed it down to two names and we hope to make a decision in the next week. We would like to use a family name. We don't plan on changing the layout but we want to create an atmosphere that is completely different from anything that's been in the space before.

Of all the vacant restaurant spaces in Noe Valley (Chez Marius, Pomelo, etc), what made you decide to buy Basso’s restaurant? 
There are a number of reasons that we love this space: We love that it is a corner building and it gets great light. We love it's proximity to the J-Church and all of the various tech bus pick-ups and drop-offs. We love that it has outdoor seating. We love that it has a liquor license. We love that it is only a short walk from our home and from NOVY. We love that it has a long history in the neighborhood under the Basso family and we hope to create our own long-lasting legacy in the space.

Who’s involved? You, your spouse - anyone else? Also, what name should we use for you? 
My husband, Mike McCaffery, and I are the sole owners (no other partners.) My legal name is Kristen McCaffery, but I still use my maiden name, Gianaras, around the 'hood.

What sort of food can we expect? And what dishes are you most excited about? 
We do not yet have a menu developed. Our rough concept is New American cuisine focusing on California and San Francisco favorites. There will be great proteins, salads, seasonal vegetables and a number of bar-appropriate bites. And, of course, we plan on ebbing and flowing with the feedback from the neighborhood!

Fresca and Cantina/Bassos have been the only places in NV that are friendly for kids and for tippling adults. Will you also keep the bar service? 
Definitely! There are so few options for a nice cocktail in Noe Valley and we intend on the bar program to be a main focus of the restaurant. We also want to capture the after work crowd with a great happy hour.

Will you have outdoor dining? All day dining? 
Yes, we will have outdoor dining. We will open with dinner service only. Down the road we will add brunch, then lunch. We also intend to open a quick-service pick-up window for to-go orders.

What’s your timeline for opening? 
We are aiming for a ~June opening, but we are willing to be flexible to get it right. Plus, we are due with our first child in April, so we want to carve out a period of time with our little one before the restaurant opens (we're trying to get ourselves nice and exhausted before jumping into this venture!).

California and San Francisco favorites, cocktails, bar bites and outdoor dining? Sounds like a great addition to the neighborhood. Here's looking forward to it.

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[Photo: Mike and Kristen McCaffery in the old Noe's Cantina space. Credit: Kristen McCaffery]