‘The Plate & Pint’ to occupy Island Grill location

Bainbridge Island’s newest announced eatery, The Plate & Pint, is expected to open its doors in the spring.

Bainbridge Island’s newest announced eatery, The Plate & Pint, is expected to open its doors in the spring.

Urban Renaissance Group, a full-service commercial real estate firm based in Seattle, announced last week that Café Nola owners Kevin and Whitney Warren will open the new restaurant, their first expansion, in the former Island Grill location at the Island Village shopping center on High School Road.

The Plate & Pint is envisioned to be a family-friendly restaurant and sports bar, according to URG. Interior renovation and upgrade work started over the weekend is expected to take three to four months and will also include new outdoor seating.

“As a Bainbridge Island resident, I’m thrilled that such proven restaurant operators have chosen Island Village for their new concept,” said URG Founder and CEO Pat Callahan. “We’ve been fans of Café Nola for a long time, so we fully supported the concept change when this opportunity presented itself. The Plate & Pint, along with its capital improvement upgrades, will be a great amenity for the community and add vibrancy to Island Village.”

Co-owner Kevin Warren said he was also very excited about the new venture.

“Living on Bainbridge for 15-plus years, the one thing we’ve always wanted for the island was a real sports bar to watch games,” Warren said.

“We’ve also consistently heard from friends and customers that they’d love another family-friendly restaurant on Bainbridge,” he added. “Our goal was to try something completely different from Nola, something new and a fresh challenge.”

“The community has so graciously supported us at Café Nola for 15 years and we’re excited for this new venture and a way to give something back,” said co-owner Whitney Warren. “We’ve been eyeing the Island Grill for some time, thinking it was a great location for our new concept. Downtown has the charm of the smaller retail shops and the cafes and bakeries and Island Village is the place islanders go for their everyday needs, from groceries to banking to a quick bite after soccer or lacrosse practice. It’s a central hub close to downtown.”

“The Plate & Pint will be a very cozy, ‘home-like’ environment with several screens for viewing a variety of sporting events, as well as a full menu of quality food approachable for everyone — from the guy having a pint of beer at the bar, snacking on an appetizer and watching basketball, to the family that just left Strawberry Park after a softball game,” she added.

The Plate & Pint will be the fifth new retailer to take up residence at the shopping center in six months. URG reported that the area is now 95 percent occupied.