Owner of The Charles Restaurant sued for tens of thousands of dollars; couple say they paid deposit for wedding

WETHERSFIELD, Conn. (WFSB) - After a popular Wethersfield restaurant suddenly closed its door this week, the I-Team found the restaurant’s owner is being sued for tens of thousands of dollars.

The sudden closure was a surprise to everyone, including a young couple who says they were supposed to get married here in June.

Three months into wedding planning, Grace Anderson and Eamon Wizner are being forced to start all over again.

The couple signed a contract in August, to host their wedding, cocktail hour and reception at “The Charles” restaurant, on June 12, 2027, their anniversary. They put down an $8,000 deposit.

They learned about the Charles closing on Instagram. They have to start planning all over again, and they’re worried that venues have already filled up.

They said the staff had been excited about wedding planning with them. Though over the last month and a half, Anderson sensed something might be up.

“Because I hadn’t heard anything. Um, so I will say I was getting a weird gut feeling like I hadn’t, I haven’t heard anything. And this is our wedding venue and all that we’ve ever had is this, uh, very enthusiastic communication and now it’s crickets,” says Grace Anderson.

The couple says despite reaching out to the owner and other staff, they haven’t heard anything back.

The I-Team found they’re not the only ones who say they’re owed money. Five civil lawsuits have been filed against owner Bryce Hardy and his companies.

One lawsuit says the Charles hasn’t paid rent on their building since February. Another says Hardy owes the New Valley Bank Trust more than $480,000, for loans related to “the Bake Market,” a bakery Hardy tried to open in 2024, that closed shortly after.

A lawsuit says he hasn’t paid rent on that building since August 2024.

A local food supplier says the Charles owes them $20,835.98, and a judge recently ruled in a favor of a different food supplier, saying the Charles owes them $35,031.94.

Anderson and Wizner just want Hardy to do the right thing.

They say their heart goes out to staff who lost their jobs and other people who may have had events planned.

“All of the people negatively affected by what’s going on, uh, it’s sad that it could happen in a community like that,” says Eamon.

“I would say that I’m so sorry that this is happening. Obviously, no one wants this to happen to their business, and no one wants to have to make this announcement in general, but that this could have just been handled so much better,” says Grace Anderson.

We did leave a voicemail for Hardy - he has not responded.