When he opened Piazza Italia with the late Gino Schettini back in 1999, Kevin Gorretta says he quickly saw a service snag in his soon-to-be popular Pearl District Italian eatery: On busy nights, he and his staff often sent would-be guests to nearby bars with the hope they wouldn’t bail after staff called their cell phones when a table freed up.

This summer, Gorretta and Amy Schettini—Gorretta’s business partner and Gino’s daughter—hope to send those would-be diners to their own bar for a drink when they open Bar Rione in the adjacent space around the corner that’s currently home to the convenience store Pearl Market.