Petition Aimed At Eli's Restaurant Group Gaining Traction In Hamden

HAMDEN, CT — An online petition has been circulating recently, calling for Eli's Restaurant Group to drop its lawsuits against a proposed restaurant/craft brewery at 2323 Whitney Ave., in Hamden.

According to the New Haven Register, the lawsuits were filed against Whitney Brewery by Tri-Star Realty LLC, 2330 Whitney Avenue LLC and One Hamden Center LLC.

The New Haven Register reported that the suits are aimed at concerns regarding parking and traffic, neighborhood character and legal conformity, and application and approval technicalities with planning & zoning. Tri-Star owns the lots that contain Roishi and Eli's On Whitney.

As of Tuesday morning, the petition garnered over 1,700 signatures. It was created by Hamden resident Chris Atchley.

"A new restaurant/craft brewery could be headed for Hamden’s town center, looking to breathe life into a vacant space once home to Mickey’s Restaurant. But not if Eli’s Restaurant Group has anything to say about it," Atchley said in the petition's description. "Despite the Planing and Zoning Commission’s approval of plans for this new restaurant, and despite wide support for this project from the residents, Eli’s Restaurant Group is trying everything possible to prevent this new restaurant from coming to town. In fact, multiple lawsuits have been filed by Eli’s Restaurant Group in attempt intimidate, and eliminate what they likely view as the competition."

Atchley went on to say that the new restaurant would be a positive for the Hamden community, since it would fill a vacant building, add more dining options, create jobs for residents and grow Hamden’s grand list.

"It has been made clear that Eli’s Restaurant Group isn’t concerned with what’s best for our community. Rather, they are only concerned with how much money they can make, even at the expense of Hamden residents," Atchley said.

Chief Operating Officer of Eli's Restaurant Group Eric Steinbach told the New Haven Register the legal action ensures the merits of each new application is consistent with zoning regulations.

Commenters on the petition supported Whitney Brewery.

"I support small businesses and free enterprise. I do not condone monopolies, anti-competitive behavior and frivolous litigation," one person said.

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