Bacari, the Los Angeles-based Mediterranean small plates restaurant group, has filed a liquor license application for a location in Old Pasadena’s One Colorado shopping center, according to a California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control filing.
The application, submitted by Bacari Operations LLC for a Type 47 on-sale general license, lists the address as 41 Hugus Alley, Suite S41 — the former home of Sage Regenerative Kitchen, which closed in January 2025 after a controversial shift from its all-vegan menu to one that included meat. The space, adjacent to the recently opened Javier’s, has been vacant since.
Renovations are expected to begin in May, with a soft opening targeted for early 2027, according to a report from L.A. Business First. The space spans approximately 5,252 square feet, L.A. Business First reported, which would make room for both indoor seating and courtyard dining.
Founded in 2008 near the University of Southern California by brothers Danny and Robert Kronfli, Bacari takes its name from the traditional Venetian wine bars known for serving shareable small plates called cicchetti. Executive Chef and Co-Owner Lior Hillel, who trained at Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Michelin-starred restaurant in New York, joined that same year and has overseen the menu across every location since.
The Pasadena restaurant would be Bacari’s first in the San Gabriel Valley. The group currently operates locations in Silver Lake, West Adams, West Third Street, Playa del Rey, Glendale, Sherman Oaks, Beverly Hills, and Culver City, according to the company’s website. Its North Park, San Diego, location opened on February 9, 2026, marking the brand’s first restaurant outside Los Angeles County. Additional locations in Long Beach and Carlsbad are also in the works.
Bacari’s menu centers on shareable Mediterranean-inspired dishes — from lamb hummus and Brussels sprouts to wood-fired flatbreads and house-made pasta — alongside a cocktail program and a rotating selection of small-production wines. Weekend brunch is offered at several locations.
“Bacari is focused on creating a place for the community can come together to enjoy good food while being entertained and enjoying the company of others,” Robert Kronfli, co-founder, said in a November 2025 statement about the group’s Long Beach expansion.
The filing comes as One Colorado, the roughly 240,000-square-foot shopping and dining center managed by Perform Properties, continues to add tenants. In December 2025, Perform Properties announced six new leases at the property, including Javier’s, rag & bone, Sundays, Monarch Athletic Club, Sockerbit, and Thaim.
Co-founder Robert Kronfli personally designs the interior of each Bacari location, incorporating patinated antiques, vintage rugs, and custom furnishings to reflect the surrounding neighborhood. No design details specific to the Pasadena location have been released.
Bacari has not publicly commented on the Pasadena location. The ABC license application remains pending.
