Downtown’s Nineteen61 Is Adding an Enclosed Rooftop Bar

Chef Marcos Fernandez, owner of downtown’s Nineteen61, has been circumspect about his plans to open a rooftop bar at his Latin-fusion restaurant. But the plans were made obvious this morning by a large construction crane hoisting building materials atop the two-story building at 215 E. Main St.

When the restaurant moved downtown from Dixieland in 2019, Fernandez and beverage director Emerson Bamaca held off on opening the rooftop bar that was built for a previous restaurant, focusing instead on the ground-floor dining room and bar and adding banquet facilities.

But he confirmed this morning he is expanding the rooftop bar with hopes of opening it in April “after Sun ’n Fun is over.” Workers are enclosing what used to be a largely open-air bar. The new air-conditioned area will have large windows with views of Munn Park, and outdoor patio seating will also be available, he said.

The presence of the crane closed Main Street between Tennessee and Kentucky Avenues for several hours this morning starting around 6 a.m. The crane was gone and traffic was flowing again by 10:15 a.m.

This is the third time a crane has disrupted morning traffic. Fernandez said he is trying to keep disruptions to a minimum and hopes it is the last time, but acknowledged the crane may need be needed one more time.