Frankly Speaking

WHAT STARTED AS a handful of high-top tables and a tiny bar, whimsically named BARcelona, grew into one of Clayton’s more successful restaurants. The sprawl of sidewalk tables that crept up and down Central Avenue defined outdoor dining there for years. After almost two decades, a half-block residential development forced owner Frank Schmitz to relocate. Alas, a deal fell through at the eleventh hour, leaving Schmitz with furniture, fixtures, paella pans, and no place to go. Until he finds a new spot, Schmitz is considering a BARcelon-eta—a 1,000-square-foot pop-up mini version—just to keep the brand alive.

Move it. I had been looking for over a year to move BARcelona within Clayton. I got very close to striking a deal, but we couldn’t come to an