The Side Plate Celebrates Grand Opening In West Haven

Written by Michael P. Walsh

WEST HAVEN, CT — Mayor Nancy R. Rossi snipped a “West Haven blue” ribbon with Ryan Trevethan, the owner of The Side Plate, to celebrate the fast-casual restaurant’s grand opening at 1 Atwood Place on Wednesday.

Trevethan, who also owns and operates The Plate, a breakfast and lunch restaurant in Milford, said he expanded to downtown Allingtown in West Haven because of the appealing infusion of retail and restaurant developments and the area’s vibrant transformation into a destination.

The Side Plate’s menu caters to the health-conscious, offering signature salads and acai bowls and house-made wraps and smoothies — dishes similar to those prepared in Trevethan’s food truck during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, he said.

The 2,463-square-foot restaurant at Route 1 and Atwood Place, the former site of a Mooyah Burgers, Fries & Shakes restaurant, occupies retail space below 67 University of New Haven student apartments in The Atwood, an $18 million development by CEO David A. Beckerman’s Acorn Group of New Haven.

Rossi and Trevethan marked the ribbon-cutting with members of his family, including wife Nicole and sons Zachary, 17, Shane, 14, and Tate, 12.

They were joined by City Council Chairman Peter V. Massaro, D-6, and council members Robbin Watt Hamilton, D-5, and Colleen O’Connor, R-at large; City Clerk Patricia C. Horvath; Rossi Executive Assistant Louis P. Esposito Jr.; and City of West Haven Fire Department Allingtown Chief Michael R. Terenzio and Deputy Chief Michael T. Esposito.

They were also joined by Simon McDonald, the director of membership and marketing for the Milford Regional Chamber of Commerce, along with chamber event coordinator Wendy Terenzio and a delegation of chamber members, including West Shore Associates owner Erin Eberhardt, of West Haven, and Patriot Bank Vice President Robert Creigh, of Milford.

Trevethan, an executive chef for more than 30 years, said he hopes his new restaurant, featuring a remodeled interior, attracts nearby residents and UNH students taking advantage of Allingtown’s downtown shopping and dining options.

The four-story, 90,150-square-foot Atwood is just two blocks from UNH’s main campus on Route 1, which is home to about 6,000 students.

Across the street, The Atwood is complemented by Acorn’s three-story Park View, an 85,000-square-foot development — 16,000 square feet of commercial space below 44 UNH student apartments — at 1 Cellini Place, overlooking the Allingtown Green off Route 1.

The Atwood and Park View mixed-use developments, which opened in 2017 and 2020, respectively, are collectively known as University Commons.

The Side Plate operates next to an EbLens Clothing & Footwear store in The Atwood and across from a soon-to-be-opened Hartford HealthCare walk-in clinic in The Shops at Park View.

The dine-in and takeout restaurant has 12 employees and is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. It seats about 100 people.

Trevethan said he added shelves and counter space for grab-and-go meals and to make online ordering and pickup more efficient.

Pictured (first photo): Holding a pair of oversize scissors, Ryan Trevethan, the owner of The Side Plate in West Haven, and Mayor Nancy R. Rossi cut the ribbon to celebrate the fast-casual restaurant’s grand opening at 1 Atwood Place in downtown Allingtown on Wednesday. With them are, from left, Simon McDonald, the director of membership and marketing for the Milford Regional Chamber of Commerce; Trevethan’s wife, Nicole; sons Zachary, 17, and Tate, 12; Trevethan’s aunt, Marylin Powers; son Shane, 14; kitchen manager Carlos Mota; City Clerk Patricia C. Horvath; Rossi Executive Assistant Louis P. Esposito Jr.; and City Council members Robbin Watt Hamilton, D-5, Colleen O’Connor, R-at large, and Chairman Peter V. Massaro, D-6. (City Photo/Michael P. Walsh)