Connie’s bar and restaurant, which has closed twice in recent years, is being reborn as “Bar None.”
Ansonia resident Ed Platt is the bar’s new owner. Derby native and Ansonia resident Matt Krugel, 24, is the manager and head chef.
Krugel said they have a liquor license pending with the state.
“We’re just waiting on our liquor license, so we hope to open by the first weekend of August,” Krugel said.
Krugel’s a familiar face to Connie’s patrons. He worked at Connie’s while it was owned by Staffieri brothers (Paul and Anthony, Jr.) and Jeff Hughes.
That version of Connie’s imploded during an ownership dispute between the owners. The bar closed in June 2010.
It was reborn when Valley native Rick Lucarelli took over Connie’s in the summer of 2010. He closed the business in May 2011, claiming the building’s landlords (the Staffieri brothers) wouldn’t lower his rent.
Krugel said the business plan now is to keep everything simple.
“We’re going to have a simple bar menu, but it is going to be done right,” Krugel said. “Everything is going to be fresh. Nothing will be frozen. The goal is to have really good quality bar food.”
He also plans to take advantage of the restaurant’s brick oven to make pizza.
“We’re also going to have catering and we’ll take advantage of our room in the back for banquets,” Krugel said.
Live music and drink specials are also in the works.
The owners have painted the interior. There may be some cosmetic changes made once Bar None is up and running.
