Rotisserie Chicken Shop Could Come To Cos Cob: P&Z Documents

GREENWICH, CT — According to pending application documents submitted to the Greenwich Planning & Zoning Department, a rotisserie chicken shop is being proposed for 147 E. Putnam Ave. in Cos Cob, the site of a former Starbucks which closed in 2020.

Ben's Gourmet Rotisserie Chicken, now known as Wildacre Rotisserie Greenwich LLC, is the applicant.

According to a letter to P&Z from Christopher D. Bristol, the attorney representing Wildacre, his client "intends to open a retail food sales location specializing in fresh rotisserie-based meals with 12 seats."

Bristol added that his client will look to expand his menu and seating capacity to 20 seats and obtain a liquor license. Therefore, the property would have to be changed from a retail food sales use, as it was under Starbucks, to restaurant use.

Due to the popularity of Starbucks, stipulations were imposed in 2005 that called for employees to park off-site in spaces in the shopping center across the street. Bristol said these stipulations would continue if the rotisserie chicken business is ultimately approved.

Peak business hours for the restaurant would be early afternoons for lunch and evenings for dinner. "In this way, peak traffic for the restaurant would not occur at the same time as peak traffic times for other businesses and schools in the vicinity," Bristol said.

The building has about 1,500 square feet of floor area with seven parking spaces and one ADA space. There are also parking spaces along nearby Strickland Road that are "convenient and readily available to customers," Bristol noted.

The property is owned by Cos Cob Pond LLC, according to application documents.

The application is pending, and has not been scheduled before the Planning & Zoning Commission yet.