The Starbucks-owned Italian baker Princi is coming to Red Hook.
The food haunt has signed a lease for 18,000 square feet at 160 Van Brunt St., where it will have open kitchens for a bakery and commissary that may eventually open to the public.
Last year, Starbucks invested in the Milan-based Princi, founded by Chef Rocco Princi, with plans to include its artisanal breads and pizza at select Reserve Roastery locations.
So far, its Reserve Roastery is open in Seattle. One is coming to New York’s 61 Ninth Ave., where Aetna will have office space, next year; and to Chicago in 2019.
The space on the ground floor in Red Hook comprises two hanger-like expanses with wide windows and skyline views, sources said.
David Firestein of SCG Retail represents Starbucks and could not be reached. Building owner Asher Abehsera’s LIVWRK, in partnership with David Brecher’s FirstMarket Capital, has asking rents of $44 per square foot and was also unreachable.
Although LIVWRK is invested with Jared Kushner on various redevelopments, Kushner is not a partner on this project.
Princi will join Tesla, which has over 40,000 square feet for a showroom, service area and offices.
The red brick building by the waterfront bounded by Imlay, Summit and Van Brunt streets is five combined structures that comprise the former Golten Marine ship repair facility.
As the most northern building in Red Hook by Hamilton Avenue., it is just a block from the residential filled Carroll Gardens, where I-478 is underground, making strolling with strollers stress-free.
Red Hook is also becoming a food-maker mecca with bakers, chocolatiers, breweries and others taking advantage of the warehouses and harbor breezes.
