Five Points restaurant and bar to expand, become more ‘family friendly’

Publico in Five Points is planning to expand its back deck and yard to become more dog-friendly and kid-friendly and give the Greene Street taqueria and tap room more of a brewery feel.

The expansion will eliminate an underused 18-space parking lot tucked behind the restaurant at 2013 Greene St. The Columbia Board of Zoning Appeals unanimously approved eliminating essentially all of the business’s on-site parking.

In the age of Uber, Lyft and scooter rentals, especially in a university neighborhood like Five Points, the standard parking model doesn’t hold, said Publico co-owner Bob McCarthy.

“It’s an obsolete parking lot for a 70-year-old building,” he said.

The family-friendly recreation area will add a bocce ball court, bike racks, picnic tables, an outdoor gaming area (think giant Jenga and Connect Four) and an expanded cornhole-playing area. The recreational space would be an addition to the restaurant’s large back deck.

McCarthy said he wants the establishment to be a counterpoint to the many bars in the district that don’t open until late and cater to mainly college students.

“It part of the Five Points Association’s effort to re-brand Five Points as a fun entertainment district instead of a late-night drinking district,” he said.

Publico opened in November 2015. It features 54 taps of craft beer and a wide range of Latin-American tacos. There’s even a puppy menu featuring a tempting turkey plate with ground turkey, bok choy, sweet potatoes and strawberries, and a seafood casserole of mahi mahi, shrimp, spinach and apples.

This story was originally published December 12, 2018 at 9:19 AM.