Hartford Restaurant's Liquor Permit Suspended Due To Violations: State

HARTFORD, CT — A Hartford restaurant located near the site of a homicide last month that claimed the life of a West Hartford teen has had its liquor permit suspended.

The state Department of Consumer Protection has suspended the liquor permit for the downtown Hartford restaurant following repeated police responses, alleged interference with investigations, and failure to comply with a police order requiring security.

Connecticut Consumer Protection Commissioner Bryan T. Cafferelli signed a summary suspension on Friday for the provisional restaurant liquor permit held by the White Rabbit eatery, located at 201 Ann Uccello St.

The suspension took effect Friday, March 6, and remains in place through 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, March 10, when the provisional permit is scheduled to expire.

The action prohibits the business from selling or serving alcohol.

The restaurant may continue to serve food, but must comply with a police order requiring security if it remains open.

State officials said the suspension follows months of coordination between the department’s Liquor Control Division and the Hartford Police Department over public safety concerns at the establishment.

According to the agency, issues cited include frequent police responses to the property, denial of immediate access to police and liquor control staff during investigations, ongoing zoning and noise complaints, and lack of cooperation during the licensing review process.

On Thursday, James Rovella, chief of the Hartford Police Department, ordered the business to hire two police officers daily whenever the establishment was open.

The order took effect immediately and included a two-hour grace period.

Police later found the restaurant open without the required officers several hours after the grace period expired, according to the department.

Officials said that they had violated the chief’s order.

“It is rare for our agency to exercise our right to suspend a provisional permit in this way, but the actions of the ownership at White Rabbit leave us no other option,” Cafferelli said. “The premises’ immediate and blatant disregard of orders from the Hartford Police Department, in addition to repeated behavior that delays and impedes investigations by DCP into the application and premises operations, creates public safety concerns in the surrounding area.”

Cafferelli added that the number of issues reported during the roughly three months the provisional permit has been active indicates the owners “are not prepared for the responsibility that comes with the privilege of holding a liquor permit.”

The provisional permit for White Rabbit was first issued Dec. 9, 2025, and expires March 10.

State officials said the restaurant’s application for a permanent license remains pending and is subject to further investigation and proceedings.

West Hartford High School student Camden Siegel, 17, was shot by gunfire nearby on Feb. 22.

He was taken to a nearby hospital and initially listed in "extremely critical condition."

Siegel died on Feb. 24 from his injuries.

WVIT Channel 30 and other media outlets reported that the shooting happened near White Rabbit.

For more information on the state action against White Rabbit, click on this link.

From Feb. 24: 'West Hartford Teen Shot In Hartford Sunday Has Died: Police'