Hailing from Adana, Turkey, owners Halil and Öner Gündogdu envision their restaurants as havens of food, drink, conversation and connection in the midst of a busy city.

The brothers—born 10 years apart—fuse their Turkish roots with the ever-innovative energy of NYC, bringing a spirit of authenticity and generosity to everything from their style of service to the choice of records spinning behind the bar. Both lovers of classic cinema, they imagine every night behind the bar as a story to be told.

In 2012, after many years working at a slew of Manhattan establishments, Halil opened Little Rascal on Elizabeth Street, with the intention of creating a warm, intimate gathering place for neighborhood locals. The restaurant’s homey dishes steeped in traditional Mediterranean flavors quickly solidified it as a Nolita staple, frequented by everyone from friends from across the street lingering over a beer, to artists chatting over a meal, and couples sharing a bottle of wine. Öner joined him as a partner in 2015—and a decade after opening, Little Rascal continues to be a beloved mainstay on the corner of Elizabeth and Kenmare.

In 2022, the brothers partnered with renowned mixologist Keith Larry (formerly of Employee’s Only), to open an avant-garde cocktail bar in their beloved home neighborhood of Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The opening of the Greenpoint location marks a new era of community-building and epicurean evolution for the pair. Shaped by the sun and sea of their childhoods and driven by the hustle of NYC, they continually strive to create spaces of care, nourishment, experimentation, and bliss.