Gina Luari is the Connecticut restaurateur behind The Place 2 Be, a brunch chain that expanded to five locations before collapsing under evictions, vendor lawsuits, a felony larceny arrest, and the March 2026 revocation of the state sales tax permits at every remaining restaurant.1Stamford Advocate. CT Place 2 Be Shut Down New Haven West Hartford
How She Built Place 2 Be
Luari emigrated from Albania and grew up working in her family’s Connecticut diner. She opened the first Place 2 Be in 2016 on Franklin Avenue in Hartford’s South End, catering to millennials with oversized dishes, brightly colored drinks served in bathtubs and novelty mugs, and photo-friendly décor she described as “showmanship.”2CT Insider. Place 2 Be Gina Luari Hartford Restaurant Eviction
Between 2020 and 2022 she added four locations: downtown Hartford, West Hartford’s Blue Back Square, New Haven, and Springfield, Massachusetts, inside the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2023 she launched RAW*, a seafood bar on Trumbull Street in Hartford, with the help of a $150,000 “Hart Lift” storefront revitalization grant from the city.3Hartford Courant. CT Restaurateur Loses Location Due to Unpaid Rent Her parent company, The Statement Group, reported annual revenue growing from $3 million to $10 million and a workforce of more than 300 people during that stretch.2CT Insider. Place 2 Be Gina Luari Hartford Restaurant Eviction
Evictions and Closed Locations
The trouble surfaced in early 2024. The landlord at the downtown Hartford location on Constitution Plaza sued in January 2024 for $43,462 in back rent. In New Haven, a judge stayed an eviction filing on the condition that the business pay $8,641.93 and stay current on rent going forward.4Hartford Business Journal. Celebrated Hartford Restaurant Entrepreneur Gina Luari Contends With Several Evictions
The Springfield landlord, Springfield Riverfront Development Corp., sued in Hampden Superior Court in February 2024, alleging more than $84,000 in back rent and other unpaid amounts. Luari blamed employee embezzlement and said the company was “making good on the debt.”5MassLive. Place 2 B Owes Rent in Springfield but Says It’s the Victim of Employee Theft The Hall of Fame location closed permanently by early 2025.6Hartford Courant. Not the Place to Be: How a Once Bright Light on CT Restaurant Scene Is Now in a Tight Spot A separate order directed Luari to pay $975,000 to New Valley Bank and Trust in connection with Springfield; she later said the matter had been settled under confidential terms.7Hartford Courant. Once High-Flying CT Restaurant Business May Shrink in Size Again Sooner Than Expected
RAW* was hit with a breach-of-lease complaint in December 2024 and posted with eviction notices in September 2025. Luari’s representatives said the restaurant had been “forced to close due to an incident of vandalism.”8WTNH. Owner of The Place 2 Be Restaurants Evicted From Hartford Seafood Location The West Hartford bakery spin-off at 69 Memorial Road was evicted in the fall of 2025 before it ever opened.9We-Ha. The Place 2 Be in West Hartford’s Blue Back Square Closed
Vendor and Creditor Lawsuits
By late 2025, court records showed at least 10 active civil cases against Luari and The Statement Group.10CT Insider. The Place 2 Be Restaurants Owner Arrest Bad Check In July 2025, Superior Court Judge Kaitlin Halloran ruled that Luari and P2B Downtown LLC owed roughly $124,000 on a defaulted American Express credit agreement. U.S. Foods Inc. sued in Hartford Superior Court over $5,753.65 in unpaid goods and services, and Woodcock Refrigeration Co. sued for $5,640.35 in unpaid HVAC work, alleging Luari had issued a bad check for the balance.11The Hour. Place2Be Restaurateur Financial Criminal Troubles
The Felony Arrest
On September 17, 2025, East Hartford police arrested Luari on charges of second-degree larceny and issuing a bad check, both felonies.12Hartford Courant. High-Profile CT Restaurateur Arrested on Felony Larceny Charge The charges came from a complaint by Ken Swerdlick, owner of Restaurant Equipment Paradise in East Hartford, who alleged Luari had written two checks, for $2,620.46 and $8,291.20, drawn on a closed bank account.13NBC Connecticut. Equipment Vendor Speaks Out as Place 2 Be Owner Faces Criminal Charges According to the arrest warrant affidavit, the vendor’s manager told police it was approximately the fifth time Luari had issued bad checks to the company.14WFSB. Owner Popular Connecticut Brunch Spot Arrested Issuing Bad $10,000 Check
Luari told police she had not known the account was closed, saying it became inactive during a six-month period when the associated business was shut down.13NBC Connecticut. Equipment Vendor Speaks Out as Place 2 Be Owner Faces Criminal Charges She was released on $10,000 bail, retained attorney Justin Freeman, and appeared in Manchester Superior Court on November 18, 2025. She has pleaded not guilty, and as of March 2026 the case remained pending.15WTNH. Sales Permit Revoked From All Connecticut Place 2 Be Locations
Sales Tax Revocations and the End of the Chain
Under Connecticut law, the state can suspend a sales tax permit after providing 10 days’ notice when a holder violates sales tax regulations. In the final week of March 2026, the Department of Revenue Services revoked the sales and use tax permits at all three remaining Place 2 Be locations: West Hartford, downtown Hartford, and New Haven. The Franklin Avenue bakery spin-off was also closed. Luari did not respond to requests for comment.16CT Insider. CT Place 2 Be Shut Down New Haven West Hartford
Even after the revocations, litigation over the New Haven space continued. Landlord Michael Schaffer filed an affidavit of noncompliance on April 16, 2026, alleging Luari owed $11,954.50 for April rent at 338 Elm Street. Judge Alayna Stone had previously ruled in Luari’s favor on a February rent dispute, finding the landlord had established a pattern of accepting late payments. But Luari had agreed in August 2025 that any further missed payments would waive her right to appeal an eviction, and on April 17, 2026, Judge Stone ordered the eviction.17Yale Daily News. Judge Orders Eviction of The Place 2 Be From New Haven Location
Where Things Stand Now
As of mid-2026, no Place 2 Be or Statement Group restaurant remains open in Connecticut or Massachusetts. Luari’s felony case in Manchester Superior Court is ongoing, and more than a dozen civil suits involving unpaid rent, vendor debts, and credit obligations are pending or have resulted in judgments against her or her companies.1Stamford Advocate. CT Place 2 Be Shut Down New Haven West Hartford