The former Black Sheep Restaurant space at 1534 Oak St. in Five Points will become a bartaco location.
Colliers real estate announced the opening in an Instagram post.
“In anticipation for Taco Tuesday - Bar Taco is set to make its debut in the iconic Black Sheep Building nestled within the vibrant hub of 5 Points. Renowned for its fusion of upscale street-style cuisine and a refreshing coastal ambiance, Bar Taco promises a dining experience like no other. Drawing inspiration from the laid-back beach cultures of Brazil, Uruguay, and Southern California, every aspect of Bar Taco embodies a sense of leisure and indulgence,” the post said.
The restaurant will use the entire restaurant space, which is about 5,500 square feet on the ground floor and 3,017 square feet on the rooftop terrace.
No opening date has been announced.
The menu consists of house-made guacamole and salsas, soups and salads, street corn, 12 taco offerings, rice bowls and desserts. There is also a kids’ menu.
It is known for its margarita selection as well as a variety of nonalcoholic cocktails.
Black Sheep Restaurant, closed in May after the post-pandemic costs made the business model unprofitable, owner Jonathan Insetta told the Daily Record last year. It opened in 2012.
Colliers represented the property owner and Origin Realty Advisors, of Westport, Connecticut, represented bartaco in the transaction.
Colliers reached out to bartaco in April before Black Sheep Restaurant closed. The lease was signed March 1, said Matthew Clark, senior vice president at Colliers.
The restaurant is corporately owned. It will be remodeled to reflect the interior of the other bartaco restaurants, Clark said.
“A lot of food and beverage operators follow groups like bartaco into emerging markets. We hope it attracts more opportunities for the neighborhood,” Clark said.
The bartaco company started in 2010 Port Chester, New York. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia.
Colliers had heard bartaco was looking for property in the Jacksonville market when Clark approached the group in April about the Black Sheep property.
“I wanted them in the market. Great retail follows them. We knew that they had been looking around in Jacksonville. We reached out to them. They fell in love with the rooftop,” Clark said.
There are 31 bartaco locations in 14 states including five in Florida and four in Georgia, according to its website.
The Florida locations are Aventura, Coconut Grove, Orlando, Tampa and Wynwood. The Georgia locations are in Atlanta.