Rivalry Has A New Owner

Scott Beck and Derrick Lee opened Match in 1999 and the South Norwalk restaurant went on to thrive, offering its patrons an award-winning dining experience. Lee since moved on, but the two men have reunited once again, entering into a lease agreement for the former Rivalry Sports Grille at 262 Main Street in Monroe.

Rivalry had closed last month, and Beck and Lee plan to breathe new life into the restaurant, renovating and reopening the building in the spring as a pub or a tavern serving comfort food.

"There’s gonna be a bar in it, but it's gonna be family oriented," Beck said Tuesday. "We’re shrinking the space. It's gonna make it cozy inside."

Beck is also co-owner and managing partner of The Loft, a martini lounge in South Norwalk.

Steve Matsis of Newtown, senior managing director of Pyramid Restaurant Group, a Stamford firm specializing in the sales and leases of restaurant locations throughout Connecticut and Westschester County, brokered the deal. He was also the broker when Senior Pancho's moved into the Monroe property and when Rivalry took over after that.

Beck and Lee will lease the approximately 4,100-square-foot building from David Sippin.

"What they're going to 0ffer is something we desperately need in Newtown and Monroe," Matsis said during an interview last week. "We’re talking about well prepared casual dining at price points that are acceptable for the demographics of our area."

"We love the location," Beck said. "It's right on Route 25. It’s a stand alone. Its got tons of parking. The building's in great shape."

The building was rebuilt after there was a fire at Senior Pancho's five years ago. As a result, both Beck and Matsis noted that the kitchen is still in like-new condition.

Beck said the location is easily accessible to the surrounding towns of Trumbull, Easton and Newtown.

Matsis believes Beck and Lee have the qualifications and experience to guide them in choosing the right theme and prices to make the new restaurant thrive for years to come.

"We're gonna start to demo shortly," Beck said. "We're looking to open sometime in the spring as a pub/tavern with awesome food."

Rivalry: What went wrong?

Senior Pancho's had been forced to close two years ago, after an Immigration and Naturalization Service complaint that illegal aliens were working in its kitchen.

Lou Nistico and three partners took over the building in October of 2009, employing Matsis as their broker.

"Lou Nistico was the most personable person I’ve met in a long time and was a tremendous front man," Matsis said.

One mistake Matsis believes Rivalry made, was opening up the bar to the dining room. He believes the sports bar crowd watching games and listening to live bands and the families coming there for dinner did not mix.

"Either you're a family restaurant or you're a sports bar that has bands on the weekend," Matsis said. "I think the only thing they did wrong was incorporate the concepts that don’t go together."