Petit Coquin
1012 S. Presa St., (210) 888-1190, petitcoquinsa.com San Antonio’s Empty Stomach Group has launched a French bistro called Petit Coquin, which has received rave reviews for its perfected simplicity. The small eatery opened in the Lavaca location that previously housed its cocktail lounge Hands Down. Credit: Sanford Nowlin San Antonio’s Empty Stomach Group is giving a familiar location another go.
The restaurant-ownership group is launching a French bistro called Petit Coquin in the Lavaca location that previously housed its cocktail lounge Hands Down, which closed in June.
Petit Coquin will open at 1012 S. Presa St. on Wednesday, Feb. 12, just in time for Valentines Day, according to Empty Stomach owner Chad Carey. Even though it hasn’t yet begun serving, reservations are already filling up, he added.
The bistro is the latest endeavor for Empty Stomach, whose bars and eateries also include Barbaro, Little Death, Paper Tiger, Wav Room, Hot Joy, Double Standard and Extra Fine.
Carey said holding onto the Hands Down space was a no-brainer since it’s a quirky old building on a corner with its own kitchen.
“The thought was that it could be a number of things,” he said.
The bistro’s name, Petit Coquin, translates to “Little Rascal.” Fittingly, the restaurant’s logo is an illustration of a badger, one of the most notorious rascals of the animal kingdom.
Carey said the critter also alludes to a great grape caper.
He once visited a friend’s vineyard in the Rhône Valley of France, where the crop of wine grapes had been wiped out. But it wasn’t any of the usual suspects, such as disease or drought. Instead, a roving band of badgers decimated the field and devoured all the grapes.
In honor of its badger mascot, Petit Coquin will carry that vineyard’s wines in-house.
French bistro Petit Coquin is opening in the spot that once housed Hands Down. Credit: Sanford Nowlin Like any French bistro worth its fleur de sel, Petit Coquin is intimate, boasting just a 24-table setting. The menu also will be small out of necessity, Carey said.
Expect four to five small plates, three to five entrees, fromage, bread and “a wine list I’m exceptionally proud of — for people who are serious about wine,” he added.
New York chef Max Mackinnon, former chef-partner at the West Village bistro Libertine, will helm Petit Coquin, bringing an impressive résumé to his new home in the Alamo City. The opposite of what some people think of when they hear “French cuisine,” Mackinnon’s approach is minimalistic, unpretentious and anything but stuffy, according to Carey.
“He’s not throwing a chiffonade of parsley on a plate just because it needs a splash of green,” Carey said, adding that guests can expect dishes to be rich, intense and without frills.
“It will just be Max in there,” Carey said of the kitchen.
One or two people will be out front, pouring wine. That’s pretty much it for staffing, Carey added. And with one seating per table, when guests are seated, the space will be theirs for the night.
Altogether, Carey says it’s meant to be the antithesis of the high-volume, churn-and-burn restaurant model. Small plates, small menu, small kitchen, small staff.
“Without fetishizing it too much, this is a guy that has cooked at the highest levels in the top kitchens of the world,” Carey said. “He’s just not one of those guys who’s super excited about packing a big house.”
This isn’t the first time that Mackinnon and Carey have worked together. In collaboration with his partner Carenn, Mackinnon opened Brooklyn wine bar Plus de Vin with Carey in 2024.
Carenn Mackinnon is originally from San Antonio, and the couple’s goal has long been to settle here, according to Carey. Once Plus de Vin was in a good place, the couple set their sights on relocating to start Petit Coquin.
“We’re trying to build a place rooted in passion,” Carey said, emphasizing the restaurant’s focus on “what’s essential.”
Petit Coquin is already taking reservations via email.
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This article appears in Feb 5-18, 2025.
Dining and Cooking