The owner of a celebrity hotspot is locked in a fierce battle with locals and police as they wage war over his swanky new restaurant.
Scott Sartiano, the 49-year-old owner of New York’s exclusive Zero Bond club, is facing criticism over his new location in the historic Hedges Inn in East Hampton.
The entrepreneur is renting the property and hopes to buy it soon. His original plan was to create a spin-off of the infamous Zero Bond, the Wall Street Journal reported.
But the hotspot, Sartiano’s at The Hedges Inn, has become the epicenter of a clash between big-city glamour and small-town vibe since opening in July.
“I don’t trust this man,” East Hampton Village Mayor Jerry Larsen told the newspaper. “The residents don’t trust him.”
The upscale restaurant, located in John Cumming’s Hedges Inn, is frequented by celebrities like Taylor Swift and Kim Kardashian, as well as the likes of Meghan Markle and Elon Musk, who can enjoy a $52 caviar cannoli here.
Celebrity hotspot owner Scott Sartiano (pictured) is locked in a fierce battle with locals and police as they wage war over his swanky new restaurant.
The entrepreneur is renting the property and hopes to buy it soon. His original plan was to create a spin-off of the infamous Zero Bond
“I don’t trust this man,” East Hampton Village Mayor Jerry Larsen told the Wall Street Journal. “The residents don’t trust him.”
“The Hedges Inn will transform into a culinary showcase for Sartiano’s, an offshoot of the exclusive SoHo restaurant that will bring a dynamic dining experience to East Hampton,” their website reads.
‘This weekly experience is an ode to innovative dishes, curated by the renowned talent behind Sartiano’s.’
But locals fear it could be a celebrity party paradise disrupting their tranquil paradise.
The drama began when Sartiano first floated plans to bring a Zero Bond-style club to the picturesque village.
Local residents immediately became concerned about nighttime outings disrupting their village.
Village officials quickly joined forces with the authorities and passed new laws that thwarted Sartiano’s plans, including banning beer after 11 p.m. and banning nightclubs in the historic district.
“I’m sure he’s going to impress a lot of people in New York City,” city administrator Marcos Baladrón told the newspaper, “but we’re not going to budge.”
Sartiano changed his plans to open a private club and opened a restaurant instead. But the fight was far from over.
On opening night, building inspectors entered and forced guests to leave the outdoor area mid-meal due to a dispute over the placement of flowers.
But the posh spot, called Sartiano’s at The Hedges Inn, has become the epicenter of a clash between big-city glitz and small-town vibe since opening in July.
The drama began when Sartiano first floated plans to bring a Zero Bond-style club to the picturesque village
But locals fear it could be a celebrity party paradise disrupting their tranquil paradise
Since then there has been total war.
Police cars drive around the area, ready to take action at the slightest noise nuisance.
One night, officers even claimed that Sartiano’s liquor license prohibited listening to music.
But when he pulled out a decibel meter that indicated there was “background noise in the office,” they had to back off.
“I don’t know how to make pasta. I might not know what wine goes with branzino. But there are a few things I know a lot about, and one of them is liquor licensing,” Sartiano said.
“And the other thing is noise. Because I’ve owned nightclubs for 25 years, sometimes in residential areas,” he added.
Hostilities have reached a new level as conspiracy theories fly in all directions.
Village officials even accuse Sartiano of staging false noise complaints to make a fool of himself.
But Sartiano insists he’s just a family man who wants to create a healthy place.
The mayor insists he has no feud.
“I don’t have a feud. Is it because I don’t like veal parmigiana? Or is it for some other reason? I don’t know. Why don’t they explain to me what the feud is?” he said.
Anti-nightclub stickers have been plastered on cars throughout the neighborhood, saying: “Not a chance, neighbors unite against nightclubs.”
The upscale restaurant, located in John Cumming’s Hedges Inn, is frequented by celebrities including Taylor Swift and Kim Kardashian, and figures such as Meghan Markle, Mayor Eric Adams (pictured) and Elon Musk – who can be found nibbling on $52 caviar cannoli
“He is absolutely committed to bringing Zero Bond (pictured) to the village of East Hampton,” said village administrator Baladrón.
Many believe that Sartiano’s restaurant is only a temporary solution as he plans to open a nightclub.
“He is absolutely committed to bringing Zero Bond to the village of East Hampton,” said village administrator Baladrón.
According to Baladrón, Sartiano told him that he would go against the city and open a café, even if the village opposed his idea.
“He said to me, ‘Well, you know, I’m just going to go with nuclear,’” Baladrón said.
The mayor has stressed that he has no plans to visit the restaurant for the time being, at least not in his spare time.
“I’m not going to the restaurant,” he said.