Little Pub To Open Stratford Restaurant At Old Marnick's Site

STRATFORD, CT — Stratford residents and visitors looking for a beach-side bite will soon have a new option. Little Pub ownership plans to open a location in the old Marnick's space, and will also reopen the shuttered hotel on the property.

Marnick's closed about a year ago when the owner sold the casual eatery, as well as the Rodeway Inn, according to Stratford Director of Economic Development Mary Dean. Both were located at 10 Washington Parkway on Long Island Sound.

Doug Grabe, who co-owns Little Pub with his wife, Daneen Grabe, spoke enthusiastically about the couple's plans to bring their business to the waterfront site in the Lordship community. Little Pub has locations in Fairfield, Wilton, Greenwich and Old Saybrook.

Unlike the cozy English decor of the other Little Pub restaurants, the Stratford location will have a beach aesthetic, featuring reclaimed wood and rustic finishes, Doug said. Diners can expect to find Little Pub standards such as burgers and mac and cheese on the menu, but those dishes will appear alongside more seafood than is offered at other locations. Another thing that will set the Stratford restaurant apart is that it will start out serving breakfast, which Doug said many residents requested, and keep breakfast service if customers respond positively.

"Marnick's was a huge breakfast spot for the neighborhood," he said.

The Grabes' plan to open the restaurant in late August and the hotel in September, according to Doug.

The former Rodeway Inn will be reborn as a waterfront hotel with year-round use, which has yet to be named, Doug said. He and his wife are completely redecorating the 29-room hotel with shiplap, wicker light fixtures and beachy furniture. Their goal is to create an atmosphere similar to Montauk or Martha's Vineyard at a mid-tier price point that will offer inland Connecticut residents the option to take a beach getaway without leaving the state.

The businesses have received all the necessary permits, Dean said.