By James Lomuscio
After more than a 30-year wait, Frank Nistico Jr., who goes by the name Chich, finally got Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) approval Thursday night for a patron bar in his iconic, high-end restaurant at 290 Wilton Road—the Red Barn.
The patron bar will be ready sometime in early 2014. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
“We’re very, very elated to be having the patron bar, and we’re looking forward to putting it in,” said Nistico. “What the town agreed to, that’s what we’re going to do.”
“We’re fired up about it,” said Richard Nistico, Chich’s brother.
According to civil engineer Peter Romano, principal of Land-Tech Consultants and who handled the application before the P&Z, the 12-seat patron bar will be constructed by the restaurant’s fireplace, “and they’re eliminating 20 sit-down, patron dining seats to do so.”
“They’ve been very anxious to get this done, and I think they’ll begin construction shortly after the New Year, and by the first quarter of the year we’ll have a patron bar,” Romano said.
The Nistico family, longtime Westport restaurateurs who for decades had previously owned the Arrow Restaurant in Saugatuck, purchased the Red Barn in 1983, hoping to turn it into a nightclub dubbed the Wagon Wheel, Romano said. Because of such a planned change, the P&Z never approved a patron bar, and the Red Barn became a high-end restaurant instead.
Romano said the new patron bar would have no entertainment or anything sought in the early 1980s. Instead, he said it would offer an option to those who wanted “to stop in for a drink and a hamburger while they are waiting for their kids at the Y.”
The nearby Westport Weston Family Y under construction is expected to be a boon to the Red Barn, he said.
According to Romano, the special permit for the patron bar was granted under what is termed “a transformation for a pre-existing non-conforming use.”
Such a transformation, among other provisions, requires that there be no increase in the footprint of the building and no significant increase in sales, parking or traffic.
Chich Nistico noted that the the room where the bar will be installed is called the Louis Room named after his uncle Lou whose name is also popularly associated with the Lou Nistico Field House at Staples High School.
Second and third generations of Westport’s Nistico restaurateurs include Virginia Nistico, 86, with sons (l-r) Tom, 63, Richard, 46, and Chich, 64. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
He said the new bar, which will offer a range of wines by the glass and a bar menu that includes a selection of shellfish by the piece, will be ideal for guests while waiting for a table or for a drink after work.
Reflecting on the proud history of the Nistico family restaurants, Nistico said all the rooms are named after his grandparents or uncles.
“Our grandparents, Giovanni and Frank, owned the Arrow Restaurant for 59 years – from 1932 to 1991,” he said. “Two of my children and a few of Tom’s and Richard’s are fourth generation family members who are involved in the Red Barn. Virginia’s husband, Frank, died in May 1999.”
Dave Matlow contributed reporting.
Hi, I’m just curious: What’s a “patron bar’? Is that some sort of term of custom or law in Connecticut?
Patron bar is where you can sit at the bar or area around it and have drinks. A service bar is one that only has a bar tender making drinks for people eating elsewhere at the venue.
Some patron bars allow food to be ordered at the bar as well, but not all.
This change will allow people come and just have drinks and hang if they choose and in this case order some food as well. This is a good thing for the Red Barn and should have no effect on the area.
Thanks, Matthew, for the clear explanation.