Date: Fri 20-Aug-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

Mary-Hawley-Inn-Belli

Full Text:

Sale Of Mary Hawley Inn Pending

(with photo )

BY STEVE BIGHAM

The sale of the Mary Hawley Inn was expected to take place this week. On

Tuesday, owner Tom Belli said he was on the verge of an agreement with

restaurateur Rob Rider, owner of the Lakehouse Restaurant on Candlewood Lake

in Brookfield.

"It's close. In fact, I'm bringing the papers to their attorney's office

today," Mr Belli said.

Mr Rider, who declined to comment on the impending sale, also owns The

Cookhouse in New Milford and recently opened a third restaurant in Boston. He

is a graduate of Cornell University where he studied hotel and restaurant

management.

Details on the asking price of the restaurant were not disclosed.

Currently, there are 20 events including parties and weddings booked for the

Mary Hawley Inn. Mr Belli said he is trying to make arrangements to ensure

that, if the inn is sold, the events still take place as planned.

The Mary Hawley Inn opened its doors nearly two years ago with a buzz of

excitement. Mr Belli and his handful of partners reportedly spent more than $1

million renovating the former Hawley Manor. Customers arrived to find a

lavishly furnished establishment, but many initially said the food did not

live up to their expectations.

During the past two years, several changes have been made in management and in

the kitchen. As for the plans for a new restaurant, the details have not been

finalized, but Mr Rider is expected to take the menu in a new direction.

"It makes no sense to maintain the same menu," Mr Belli said.

Mr Belli, the inn's sole owner, had high hopes for the restaurant when it

first opened. He had planned to play a key role in the daily operations of the

inn, but suddenly returned to his high-ranking position at Reader's Digest the

day his new restaurant opened. With no owner on the premises, the restaurant

has been run by a handful of different managers.

"You need an owner on site at all times if you want to have a quality

restaurant. I've been looking for the right person, and I think I've found

him," Mr Belli said.

The restaurant is not even finished. A downstairs tap room was never

completed.

The inn was never listed for sale, but several interested buyers came forward

with different concepts for the inn. Mr Rider's concept, which remains under

wraps, was deemed most appropriate for Newtown's Main Street by Mr Belli.

"The person that runs the Mary Hawley Inn has to be devoted to the restaurant

business and understand the sensibilities of the historic district," Mr Belli

said.

During his search, Mr Belli also sought to bring in different investors to

replace those who had left. Newtown resident John Vouros was a partial owner

when the restaurant first opened, but left after the job began to conflict

with his middle school teaching position.

The Hawley Manor, formerly owned by the Vazzano family of Stratford, closed

its doors for good in 1994. The restaurant and adjoining inn sat closed for

more than three years, until it was purchased by developers Philip Manger and

Richard Mullen in 1996. Mr Belli was considered a silent partner at that time.

The renovation project on the 25,000 square foot building was enormous, and a

total of 80 40-foot dumpsters of debris were taken off the site. What had

become an eyesore in Newtown's historic district was slowly turned into a

Newtown showpiece.