Plantain nachos. Yucca fries. An inside look at Bodega 1205 in historic Columbus spot

Brown butcher paper taped to the windows may keep passersby from peering in, but it hasn’t quelled the curiosity surrounding Bodega 1205, set to open late next month in the Empire Building on 1st Avenue.

Owners Cesar Bautista and Jossy Velez have been quietly working since April to bring the combined market and Latin American fusion restaurant to life.

And they’re about to let all of Columbus in for a taste of their Puerto Rican roots with a breakfast and lunch menu that is twist on classic American items like omelets and toast, quiche and sandwiches.

Sides include plantain nachos, yucca fries and pork rinds. Tres leches and flan round out the relatively simple menu with strong Latin influences.

The Spanish word “bodega” references a small urban grocery store, typically in a Latin community. The market portion of the business won’t be up and running right away, but the couple, who moved into an apartment in the Empire Building in March, eventually plan to have a selection of items available for people who live in the Uptown area.

“Here, we didn’t have any place to go and buy groceries,” Velez said.

Fresh produce, deli meat and cheese sold by the pound, eggs, bread and other simple necessities like coffee will be offered in the market. A coffee and juice bar are also planned.

The restaurant and market are located on the bottom floor of the building. The address is 1205 1st Ave., but the entrance is on 12th Street between Broadway and 1st Avenue.

Built in 1896 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Empire Building was renovated in 2010 after sitting vacant for almost a decade. It houses 31 apartments and three other business spaces for lease.

One is currently occupied by Uncommon Athlete, a fitness training facility, and another is in the works to open as a high-end CBD store.

Bodega will be the fourth restaurant in recent years to try to make it in the space, Bautista said. Blu Crabs, a fresh seafood restaurant, was open from June to December 2018, and El Flamboyan, a Puerto Rican restaurant, occupied the space from May 2016 until January 2017.

While others may see that as a challenge, Bautista says it makes it easier for him.

“I already identified where they could have done better and I understand that the menu has a lot to do with it,” Bautista said. “Equipment has a lot to do with it. And I didn’t jump in until the owners were in love with the concept.”

Bautista is active duty military, and the two moved to Columbus this spring. Originally they were just look at renting a loft in the Empire Building and were shown the restaurant space.

“We fell in love with this building,” Velez said.

Bautista owned other restaurants in Puerto Rico, but this is the first in the U.S.

“We have always had that we were going to open another restaurant in the back of our brains,” Bautista said. “I can’t say this is what we were looking for. I don’t know, this is what feels right.”

It’s also the first time Velez, his wife of 23 years, will be heading up the day-to-day operations.

“It has been a learning curve for both of us,” Bautista said. “For me, I have to bite my tongue. But it has been a positive challenge.”

Velez, who Bautista praised for her attention to detail, has decorated the space with a mix of DIY and antiques, using old newspapers as wallpaper and a Remington upright piano as the focus.

A bright red rocking horse is tucked in one corner, while bits and pieces from their old restaurants serve as a reminder of home.

Some items came from the original building, like a window from the 1800s, while the paintings were made by Bautista’s father.

It’s a bit of home they hope customers will feel when they visit the restaurant.

“Hopefully people feel so at home here that they want to share moments with us,” Bautista said. “If you want to have your birthday and you don’t want to make a big deal about it and you want to feel at home, this is the place.”

The restaurant will be open initially from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays.