After hearing rumors for awhile, we finally have confirmation. It looks like the Rainbow clothing store at 145 Newark Avenue will be closing. The space won’t remain vacant for long, though, as the proprietors of Hoboken hotspot 1 Republik will be taking over the space.

A corporation going by the name 145 Restaurant Inc won approval to transfer a liquor license to the location. According to records, the new establishment will be doing business as 1 Republik/26 Below. It’s possible they are opening a new concept called 26 Below instead of another 1 Republik outpost.

1 Republik currently has two locations, one in Hoboken and the other in North Arlington. The popular sports bar is a well-known destination for sporting events. They serve gastropub style food and have a wide selection of craft beers.

One of the owners of 1 Republik, Kenneth Caulfield, also owns Tonic East on 3rd Avenue in Manhattan. Last May, Caulfield opened another restaurant/bar in the East Village called Bar Akuda. According to EV Grieve, the establishment rebranded as The Grayson less than a month later.

No timeline could be determined for Rainbow’s closing or when the new Jersey City spot will open.

This news makes you wonder, is Jersey City becoming an extension of Hoboken? With the Pilsener Haus guys taking over the old Powerhouse Lounge space and now 1 Republik, it’s starting to look that way.

Attempts to reach 1 Republik for comment went unanswered. We’ll update the post if we hear more.

[gmap height=”250px”]143 Newark Ave, Jersey City, NJ 07302[/gmap]

145 Newark Ave, Jersey City, NJ 07302