Roberta's and OddFellows Ice Cream both left the Domino Park building this fall, a few weeks apart. Meanwhile, on the plaza right next door, the rink returns this coming Monday, November 9, with more on offer than it had last year. For the next four months, the most reliable reason to walk to this part of Kent Avenue is a public plaza. The new restaurant openings are mostly landing a block or two inland and farther down Kent.

Two empty storefronts at 6 Grand

Greenpointers reported on October 21 that Roberta's at 6 Grand St. appeared to have closed. A closure sign was on the door next to a notice about overdue rent. The location had come off the Roberta's website and online ordering was turned off. Roberta's hadn't commented, and a representative of Two Trees Management, which owns the building, declined to comment. Eater's October closings roundup also listed the closure and noted that OddFellows had left Domino Park this fall.

Neither business has said why it left, and no new tenant has been announced for either space. Greenpointers suggested that Wythe, Bedford and Berry probably pull away much of the foot traffic that might otherwise reach Kent. That makes the winter programming next door the thing to watch on this stretch.

The plaza next door keeps adding

The rink adds more programming each season. Two Trees announced that SKATE at Domino Park, which it calls Williamsburg's first waterfront ice rink, returns for its third season on Monday, November 9, 2026, and runs through Sunday, February 21, 2027. The rink covers Domino Square with 7,000 square feet of ice. The dasher boards are glass, so the view of the East River stays open.

Here's what a visit costs, according to the season announcement as published by The City Life:

Run the numbers on the passes. With your own skates, the $375 Full Season Pass pays for itself after about 22 weekend sessions at the $17 resident price, or about 29 weekday sessions at $13. The January–February pass is different. At $150 it covers its cost after nine weekend visits or twelve weekday visits between January 1 and the season's close on February 21. That only adds up for someone planning to skate more than once a week.

The rink is open 2:30 to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends and holidays. New this season, Fireworks Skating Academy will teach daily private and group lessons. CUL DE SAC, a New York City nonprofit, is bringing two outdoor saunas from November through February, along with food from local purveyors and free and discounted nights for local community groups. Figure Skating in Harlem is one of the partner organizations, and birthday party packages are $600 on weekdays and $800 on weekends and holidays.

In the same announcement, Domino Park director Michael Lampariello said, "Each season, we see more neighbors making SKATE part of their winter routine." Domino Square is a one-acre plaza between One Domino Square and The Refinery at Domino. Outside of rink season it hosts farmers markets, salsa nights, movie nights and concerts. In winter, the same acre becomes the rink.

Where the new restaurants actually opened

The neighborhood's three most talked-about food arrivals this fall aren't on the Domino blocks of Kent.

Booth's Extra Fine, 62 South 2nd Street. This steakhouse opened in early October in the former Mighty Quinn's Barbecue space. It's run by chef Nick Pfannerstill, co-owner of the cocktail bar Nobody Told Me, and named for his grandfather Booth, whose photographs from nights out hang on the walls. According to Greenpointers, the menu runs from steak tartare and devils on horseback to a starter called "a Martini's Best Friend," which is warm potato chips with blue cheese and rosemary.

Williamsburg Diner, 82 South 4th Street. The diner is moving into the former Taqueria Casa Imelda space and plans to be open 24 hours. It was founded by Louie Selamaj, longtime owner of Bushwick Diner, and Brooklyn entrepreneur Tej Kohli. Greenpointers reported in mid-October that the team was aiming for a soft opening by the end of October and a full opening by mid-November. Online ordering comes first, then dine-in. Besides the usual omelettes, burgers and milkshakes, the menu has a dine-in-only section called "Ritz and the Rag."

Naked Tomato, 476 Kent Avenue. Chef Eyal Shani's restaurant opened Wednesday, October 14, at the Williamsburg Wharf. His Good People Group also runs Miznon, Port Sa'id and Shmoné in Manhattan. Shani's earlier Naked Tomato at Hudson Yards has closed, so this is the only one in New York. The menu starts with three dips borrowed from Port Sa'id. The Wharf is Naftali Group's waterfront project. It has five residential buildings on 3.75 acres plus a promenade and green space. Breads Bakery has a lease next door at 470 Kent. Eater reported in September 2025 that it was expected to open in 2026.

So one new restaurant is on Kent, at a newer project farther down the avenue, and the other two are on the side streets. None of them is in the Domino ground floor where the two tenants just left.

What's still open around the rink

The rest of the Domino cluster is still open. The rink announcement suggests these spots for before or after skating:

• Birdee, 300 Kent Ave. A bakery and cafe from pastry chef Renata Ameni that opened in April 2025.
• Stretch Pizza, 320 Kent Ave. Its first Brooklyn location, opened in 2025.
• Misi, 329 Kent Ave.
• Frita Batidos, 334 Kent Ave. The Michigan-born, Cuban-inspired restaurant, which opened at Domino Park last fall.
• Cafe Susanne, 8 River St., and Bar Susanne, 6 River St. The cafe opened in November 2025. The bar opened May 15, 2026, serving cocktails and seafood, with reported hours of 5 to 11 p.m. daily.

Other Half Brewing is on the announcement's list too. Since Roberta's and OddFellows left, there's no longer a pizzeria and an ice cream shop side by side on the plaza. For pizza near the ice, Stretch at 320 Kent is the closest option.

The November calendar

Opening weekend overlaps with subway work, so check the dates before you head over.

1. November 7–9. No J trains between Myrtle Avenue–Broadway and Essex Street. Shuttle buses replace them, the M runs in two sections, and the L is scheduled to run normally. That's according to the MTA's rider alert.
2. Monday, November 9. SKATE at Domino Park opens.
3. November 13–16. Same J and M weekend changes.
4. Mid-November. Williamsburg Diner's target date for a full opening.
5. Weekdays through November 20. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., J trains run local between Marcy Avenue and Myrtle Avenue–Broadway.
6. November 20–23. The last weekend of J and M changes.
7. Sunday, November 22. Last Sunday of the GrowNYC Greenmarket at Domino Park, which has run since June 14.

After November 22, the rink and the saunas are the only regular programming on the plaza until the season ends February 21.

What comes to Kent after the ice

Spring should bring more new businesses to Kent Avenue itself. Court Street Grocers owner Eric Finkelstein is putting a second Williamsburg shop at 319 Kent Ave., the former Mekelburg's, a few doors from Stretch and Misi. Greenpointers reported in late September that the signage was up, that the target was "by spring," and that Finkelstein described it as a mix of Court Street Grocers and something new.

In the Refinery building, River Street Hospitality LLC has proposed a 750-capacity venue with an Italian restaurant. Greenpointers covered it in September. Domino's final building, Site B at 280 Kent Ave., had reached its seventh floor as of Brownstoner's May 2026 construction update, and its plans include commercial space.

So more storefronts are coming to this part of Kent. Until they open, the plaza is what keeps the Domino stretch busy, from the first skate on November 9 to the last on February 21.

If you own near Kent Avenue and want to know what this season's changes mean for your home's value, Max Moondoc can walk through it with you. Let's figure this out together. Get a free home valuation.