Popular CT restaurant closes after not paying rent, court documents say

A popular Connecticut restaurant has been left vacant after a dispute with the building owner over rent, according to court documents.

The Tavern Downtown in Hartford, located across from the XL Center, has been shuttered after facing eviction for allegedly not paying its monthly $9,000 rent, according to documents filed in Hartford Superior Court .

According to court documents filed April 22, the plaintiff in the case listed as Ann Uccello Apartments LLC, filed a complaint against The Hub Restaurant Group LLC, owner of The Tavern Downtown, for failure to meet its monthly $9,000 rent obligations for March and April 2024.

The plaintiff then filed a notice to quit possession for the restaurant owner to vacate the property by April 21, 2024. The complaint alleges that the owner of the restaurant refused to vacate the property. In a judgement handed down on May 22, Judge Thamar Esperance-Smith ordered The Hub Restaurant Group LLC to vacate the property within five days.

On June 10, both parties entered into a stipulation agreement with a move out date of June 30. The agreement allowed the plaintiffs to keep the defendants’ $10,000 security deposit. The agreement also called for the defendants to leave behind their full kitchen which would become the property of the plaintiffs.

The Tavern Downtown, listed at 201 Ann Uccello St., had just under 7,000-square-feet of space, according to court records. The restaurant and bar, located on the first floor of the building, occupied nearly 4,800 square feet of space with an additional 2,200 square feet of space that consisted of a club and storage area.

Well-known restauranteur and former owner of The Russian Lady Jerry Fornarelli is listed as an owner of The Tavern Downtown on court documents. The Russian Lady changed hands earlier this year with a new name and a new owner after the former establishment closed its doors following a violent assault between a patron and security guards.

Calls to the restaurant leave an automated message with an inbox that is full and unable to leave messages. The Courant attempted to reach out to Fornarelli but did not hear back in a timely manner.

Stephen Underwood can be reached at sundewood@courant.com