A sports bar planned for 179 Allyn St. in Hartford will receive a public hearing May 23, with the applicant hoping to open “Exit Hartford” this summer.
Amin Bilal, the applicant for a permit to “establish a drinking place,” had hoped to open months earlier, but said the design of a kitchen remodeling and the need to secure an easement from a neighbor had set back his schedule.
A $150,000 grant from the city’s Hart Lift program has been secured to help Exit Hartford remodel its space, which previously hosted a nightclub.
Bilal said he decided to open in Hartford because of the Hart Lift program, which offers matching grants to help outfit spaces for new and expanding ground-floor retail and restaurant ventures.
Bilal said he is hopeful to see a revival of interest in downtown Hartford thanks to new businesses opening under the Hart Lift program, as well as a new sports betting lounge expected to open this fall at the nearby XL Center.
“Hopefully, we can all team up and have some sort of marketing for Hartford,” Bilal said.
The listed owner of the establishment on the city application is Exit Hartford LLC. According to a filing with the Secretary of the State’s office, the LLC’s principals are Rubina Amin and Rashard West, both of New Jersey.
The proposed restaurant would occupy about 4,000 square feet on the first floor of 179 Allyn St., sharing a building with The Russell restaurant. The restaurant will have access to additional space in the basement.
According to a narrative included with the application, the owners of Exit signed a lease in May 2022 with the aim of a full service restaurant and sports bar. The application received a city approval in August 2022. The applicant later learned that “shared space” behind the restaurant space is actually owned by a neighbor, meaning Exit couldn’t vent its kitchen hood to that space without an easement.
Exit is seeking to temporarily open as a sports bar until an easement can be secured, something that the applicant estimates can take more than six months.
