Hartford Business Journal

10 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | AUGUST 19, 2024 Josh Mesnik is the owner and operator of Josie & Tony's, a semiprivate membership restaurant in South Norwalk. The restaurant recently won an award from Wine Spectator. HBJ PHOTO | STEVE LASCHEVER Dinner & A Dossier NYC transplant brings semiprivate membership model to CT's restaurant industry Spectator's 2024 Restaurant Awards. The restaurant maintains a dossier on each member, with information about their preferences — from the artichoke cheese to the Maine steamers. "Because we use only the finest fresh products, things do run out," Mesnik said. "So, if I see down the books that we're low on zucchini flowers, and Mr. X usually has three portions of them, I'll hold them away, for example." Josie & Tony's is open to the public, but members receive preferential seating and guaranteed reservations with 24 hours' notice. That means prime-time weekend reservations might not open to the public until the same day; some nights, the restaurant might be entirely booked by members. "A lot of times, especially as we head into the fall and winter, I have to hold Saturday nights quite a bit back for my members until the day of, but there's usually still some reservation times (for non-members)," he said. Members also enjoy separate bathrooms, with luxurious fragrances and creams. Mesnik believes his semiprivate membership restaurant concept is the first of its kind in Connecticut. He said it has attracted customers from Fairfield County and beyond, with some driving more than an hour from Hartford and New Haven to experience it. He said members love "having a place to call their own" and "the extra experiences that they get to enjoy." It's part clubhouse, part fine-dining and part show business. "I'm an old-school maître d' who works the floor, and it's a bit of a show every night," Mesnik said. Josie & Tony's Italian Deli, an Arthur Avenue-style gourmet deli, is located at the front of the main restaurant and supper club. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO By Andrew Larson alarson@hartfordbusiness.com L ike many people who fled the cramped confines of New York City during the COVID-19 pandemic, Josh Mesnik found relief in bucolic Connecticut. Now, he has turned his passion for upscale dining with big-city flair into a new concept for the Nutmeg State: a semiprivate membership restaurant in the heart of booming South Norwalk. South Norwalk is home to chic restaurants, luxury condos and the newly opened SoNo Collection shop- ping mall. Often called SoNo, it's a high-end section of Norwalk, offering an hour-and-15-minute train ride to New York City and a 20-minute drive to Stamford. Mesnik felt at home in this less densely populated enclave, and wanted to use his expertise as a sommelier and manager at upscale eateries in New York City and south Florida to create a restaurant focused on customer experience here. "I looked around at the market, and while there are some great restau- rants, there was a niche that I thought could be filled in what I call the 'luxury party arena,'" Mesnik said. "A place that's fun, offering you all of the fine things you want, but also can feel like a good time out." Last December, Mesnik opened Josie & Tony's, a cozy Italian restau- rant in a mixed-use building at 20 North Main St. He researched the member- ship-based business model and connected with supper club owners in and outside of New York City. He crafted his terms of service after theirs. With support from 50 "founding members," Mesnik said he invested a total of about $750,000 to reno- vate the space, which previously contained a restaurant and has a large, modern kitchen. He assumed the previous restau- rant's lease and purchased its assets. He made aesthetic improvements, including top-of-the-line chairs, elegant curtains, an antique mirror along the bar and a mural. After eight months in business, the eatery is showing promising signs. With all the "founding member" slots taken, the restaurant has attracted 25 new members, who pay a one-time $3,500 initiation fee, and $1,500 in annual dues. A membership entitles customers to discounts, member-only events — from monthly wine classes to caviar tastings — and a plaque with their name on the wall. Members also get exclusive access to a basement lounge, which houses the restaurant's well-stocked wine cellar. In July, Josie & Tony's wine program received national recogni- tion when it was honored in Wine

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