Authorities Shut Down Cuban Pete’s Restaurant In Montclair

Eric Kiefer
·2 min read

MONTCLAIR, NJ — A Montclair restaurant owner accused of repeatedly defying state-issued coronavirus orders has been locked out of his business, reports say.

On Monday, police padlocked the doors of Cuban Pete’s on Bloomfield Avenue. The restaurant’s owner, Dominick Restaino, has been accused of not complying with Gov. Phil Murphy’s executive orders regulating restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, acting on behalf of the state, which requested the order, carried out the lockdown with the assistance of the Montclair Police Department and the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, Montclair Local reported.

The matter is set for a court hearing on Nov. 19, TAP Into Montclair reported.

Restaino and Cuban Pete’s have been cited on three separate occasions for allegedly violating state orders:

  • Oct. 4 - Authorities alleged the restaurant went over the 25 percent capacity limit on indoor dining, inspiring “multiple complaints.” (Read more)

  • Aug. 23 – Acting on a noise complaint, police said they found about 15 people eating at several tables inside the restaurant, which violated the ban on indoor dining at the time. (Read more)

  • Aug. 7 – Police visited the restaurant after getting complaints. They allegedly found occupied outdoor tables without proper social distancing, as well as people eating indoors. (Read more)

Restaino offered resistance to the governor’s orders at first, telling a NorthJersey.com reporter that he was willing to “go to jail” over the matter. He said the restaurant can't make ends meet under the current orders because it needs to be fully staffed to be effective.

However, Restaino later backtracked and said he’d comply with the state orders, NorthJersey.com reported.

Cuban Pete's has consistently ranked among the most popular eateries in town, once making a list of the top 50 places to eat in Essex County.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

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This article originally appeared on the Montclair Patch