STATEN ISLAND, NY --- Restaurateur Edward Gomez is currently readying his redux of Cargo Cafe at 120 Bay St. in St. George.

It’s the just latest addition to the Staten Island eatery empire that started with Da Noi — 4358 Victory Blvd., Travis; 718-982-5040 — then twinned itself at Downtown Da Noi — 138 Fingerboard Rd., Fort Wadsworth; 718-720-1650 — and continued with Vola, now called Il Divo — 1816 Hylan Blvd.; Dongan Hills; 718-980-1765.

The most recently-opened operation is Bin 5 — 1233 Bay St., Rosebank; 718-448-7275 — which is the tiniest place in the Gomez family’s collection of restaurants.

AWE recently caught up with him in between his trips to the hardware store and visits to his other properties.

Q: Tell us about the Cargo. Are you going to keep the same vibe as the old place?

A: I was approached by (artist) Scott LoBaido who said they were going to sell it or get rid of it. Scott was doing work for us at Vola at the time and I said, “We’ll bring that same energy back to Cargo, refurbish it.” We’re calling it 120 Bay Cafe — so nobody can ever get lost. (Laughs.)

Q: How about the pool table?

A: Yes, it’s there. We’re kind of leaving (the restaurant) the way it is, just enhanced it, pretty much keeping the same aesthetics. We’re adding lots of tile and hard wood flooring. And Scott’s in charge of the decor. What made Cargo unique was his artwork, so we’re going to continue with that. We’re doing art meets food. (Laughs.)

Q: What's the menu going to be like?

A: We’re staying focused with the bar and grill concept, staying true to that but adding our own spin — bar grub with a bit of our own flair.

Q: Estimated time of opening?

A: At the latest February.

Q: So, when did you start working in the restaurant business?

A: Well, I started working with my father when it was against child labor laws. (Laughs.) I was 12 years old. My father headed up restaurants on the Upper East Side of Manhattan — he was front-end manager at Lusardi’s. They owned eight restaurants.

I started bus-boying on the weekends at 12, 13. I’d do busboy and coatcheck. I did everything. I worked anywhere where they needed a filler. I went to Johnson and Wales in Providence, R.I.(associates degree), and I graduated with a finance and investment bachelor’s degree from Baruch.

Q: Why did you turn Vola into Il Divo?

A: We got wind we were going to take over the old Cargo, and I didn’t feel we should have two late-nights in our repertoire. I didn’t want to be stuck at two places, so it made sense just turn (Vola) into a restaurant.

Q: What's the significance of the restaurant's names?

A: Il Divo — my father just loves the opera quartet. I said, “Oh, let’s just call it Il Divo.” And he said, “Fine, no problem.” DaNoi means “by us.” Bin 5 — it was a small little boutique restaurant and we also tried to include different higher-end wines by the glass. It basically means “storage spot for a fifth restaurant.”

Q: What's your favorite restaurant these days?

A: My favorite restaurant? A place Novecento. It’s an Argentine steak house on West Broadway and Grand. It reminds me of my summers in Argentina.