Restaurants are struggling all right. Hospitality experts believe that more than one thousand may have closed since the beginning of the pandemic and it’s clear the plight of the industry is atrocious. But here and there, pockets of hope are bubbling up as some chefs and restaurateurs rally with landlords and investors to adapt to the current situation and reassure the public that eating out, indoors, is safe.

One such pocket emanates from Williamsburg, Brooklyn where an eatery named Francie is about to open at the corner of Bedford Avenue and Broadway, down the block from Peter Luger and Davidoff. The brainchild of restaurateur John Winterman (Daniel, Bâtard) and chef Christopher Cipollone (Piora, Cotogna)—both Michelin-starred restaurant veterans, Francie was slated to open last April.

“We’re six months behind,” said Mr. Winterman, one recent morning. “First, the construction was stalled, then after it restarted, every city service was delayed. It took a month to get through the inspection portal.”

The stately Neo-Renaissance building dates from 1901 and originally housed the Nassau Trust Company. Named for Francie Nolan, the heroin of Betty Smith’s bittersweet novel, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, the restaurant and its private dining room aim to exist as a “New York Brasserie.”

Francie’s monumental côte de boeuf: A 28 day prime dry aged bone in ribeye from Indiana

“People kept asking, are you French? Italian? Chinese?” said Mr. Winterman. “But we just created the kind of place we love, the one we want to visit regularly.”

The word brasserie originally meant brewery, but now brings to mind bustling Parisian restaurants such as La Coupole in Paris, or on this side of the Atlantic, beloved classics Odeon or Café Luxembourg.

The dining room at Francie in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

The staff will wear washable cotton custom-made masks, and ultraviolet air purifiers have been installed within the air-conditioning system. Throughout the space, portable air purifiers trap particles and monitor air quality. Tables and chairs will be cleaned between each seating while restrooms and service stations will be sanitized every thirty minutes.

With its colorful mural by artist Esao Andrews in the entryway, checkered mosaic floor tiles and timeless brick walls, architect Glen Coben has created a classic atmosphere punctuated by clever, soft lighting. No tablecloth necessary—the rich grainy walnut wood of the tables feels perfectly elegant, but it’s fair to assume that most eyes will immediately be drawn towards the impeccable open kitchen at the back of the room.

“Our menu will be à la carte,” said Chef Cipollone, “With seven different sections, from snacks for $10 to our monumental côte de boeuf for two at $165.” The chef will make fresh pasta every day and will prepare such dishes as farfalle with sweetbreads, chestnuts and aged gruyère; pithivier of honeynut squash, lentils and hazelnut curry, and an apple salad with Buddha’s hand, buttermilk and crispy duck rillettes.

“We created our spring menu, then our summer menu,” he said, “All in all we’ve had to revise it 14 times.”

Restaurateur John Winterman and Chef Chris Cipollonne

Mr. Winterman, who worked alongside Daniel Boulud and later Markus Glocker, thinks the era of the chef-centric restaurant is coming to a close.

“What we’re doing here is a ‘team-driven’ restaurant,” said Mr. Winterman.

Indeed, at the time of the shutdown, their landlord, Joshua Caspi of Caspi Development reminded the group that they were “in this together.” A food lover himself, Mr. Caspi who owns the building, works with six other restaurants in New York and Westchester. When the pandemic hit, he offered the Francie team a rent abatement which is ending at the end of October.

“I’m an optimist,” he said. “We’re going to work with them until they can open.”

Francie’s lead investor, Mark Norbom, whose maternal grandfather worked as a cook for the Archduke of Luxembourg, is investing in a restaurant for the first time, and disagrees with President Trump’s assessment.

“History has shown us that restaurants bounce back,” he said. “We have a 15-year lease so we can be patient.”

The team has hired only a third of the staff their initial plan called for and the two co-founders have slashed their compensation. They hope to open for dinner only, Tuesday through Saturday with 50% capacity but if the prescribed occupancy rule remains at 25%, they will remain cash-flow positive.

Francie is slated to open in late November. Mark your calendars.