New Banquet Hall/Restaurant Approved In Milford

MILFORD, CT — The former Costa Azurra restaurant site at 72 Broadway was approved to be redeveloped into new restaurant/banquet hall facility.

The Planning and Zoning Board voted unanimously to approve the application of owner, Livio Faustini at a recent meeting.

Costa Azurra restaurant had occupied the site since the 1970s. According to the plans, the existing single story building would be replaced by a 2-story building with less square footage, but the same use. The new building would be flood compliant.

The applicant said the striped parking will not force any vehicle to protrude into Ann Street. He said he would like to landscape this area. Jonathan Kost, architect, Sandy Hook, said the previous 1,400 square footprint would be reduced to 900-square-feet providing parking adequacy, green space, and access for emergency vehicles.

He said the banquet hall is approximately the same size with a separate reception hall/smaller restaurant, including bridal and groom spaces. He said that secondary space would never function as both a banquet hall and restaurant simultaneously. He said the building featured a New England style consistent with the neighborhood.

The Milford Mirror reports that the new eatery and banquet hall will be called Tyde at Walnut Beach and will be operated by Peter and Antonietta Landino, who operate Cascade Fine Catering, a wedding facility and banquet hall in Hamden.

The Milford Mirror reports that the second floor will serve as a restaurant Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and then the facility will utilize the first floor Thursday through Sunday for weddings and banquets. A brunch will be served on Sunday at the restaurant.

City Planner David Sulkis noted that the position of the parking lot and landscape buffer was in the City right-of-way along Ann Street.

Conditions of the approval include:

1.) The Applicant shall have the approval from the City of Milford for the parking lot and landscape encroachments in the Public right of way prior to a zoning permit being issued.

The site is the former Costa Azzurra Restaurant, which closed its doors in August 2019 shortly after Sebastiano "Benny" Faustini, 54, died. The iconic restaurant and banquet hall at 72 Broadway on the West Shore of Milford was in business for 47 years.

Brianna Faustini wrote at the time of the closing, "As you know, I lost my father back in August (2019) unexpectedly. Another thing that won't be in the new year is our family business, Costa Azzurra Restaurant. This is one of the few places that I can feel my dad's energy. Where we shared laughs, where he cooked my friends and I amazing dinners, where I watched the waves crash, and where I also watched him make delicious meals and he made it look easy while doing it.

Costa Azzurra Restaurant had been known throughout New England for fresh Italian Seafood and featuring an extravagant venue for weddings and banquets on "our beautiful waterfront property overlooking Long Island Sound." Costa Azzurra represents three generations of Faustini Family owning and running the business.