Wilton's Bon Appetit Wants To Expand Outdoors

WILTON, Conn. — Dominique Arrighi sees outdoor dining as a way to better serve the many customers of his Bon Appetit restaurant in Wilton Center.

So he’s planning to expand his French-style bistro by installing a patio to let diners breathe a little fresh air and adding more space to dine.

“Inside is too small, and we’re refusing people every weekend,” said Arrighi, who is asking the Wilton Planning and Zoning Commission for a special use permit to build the outdoor patio in front of the eatery. The patio, which will include a stone wall and a permanent canopy, will allow 20 to 24 people to sit outdoors to eat, he said.

“We want to help make the customers happy,” Arrighi said. “They are loyal customers who would like for me to have a better location.”

The application is being considered along with a request to expand the restaurant by 1,000 square feet into the space formerly occupied by the Shaolin Studios karate school. The planning commission continued the public hearing on the Bon Appetit application until its July 9 meeting. The Village District Consultant Committee is also reviewing the plans.

The indoor expansion will be used to create a cocktail and wine bar, Arrighi said. The patio area, he said, would allow him to keep pace with restaurants that have outdoor dining areas, including the nearby Cactus Rose and Tom E. Toes, also located in Wilton Center.  

Restaurants in the Wilton Center zone are required to have a special use permit to offer outdoor dining, Assistant Town Planner Daphne White said. The commission has received nearly 40 letters supporting Bon Appetit’s plan and has heard from no one opposing it, she said.

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