Restaurant leaves couple at the altar

Owners simply closed the doors and walked away, By Jennifer Jean Miller HARDYSTON — Out of Hollywood have come box office tales of runaway brides. Out of Sparta, however, has emerged a runaway story of its own. But the runaway in this wedding is a restaurant. Take one: The scene is Fratelli’s Restaurant in Sparta. Bill Kennedy escorts Loretta Miller into the exquisite dining room on Valentine’s Day 2009 (also her birthday). Loretta and Bill are captivated by one another and fall in love over dinner that evening. Fast forward: A few months later, Bill proposes to Loretta. They reminisce about their magical night at Fratelli’s and decide this is the most suitable place to celebrate their wedding day. Loretta and Bill meet with one of the establishment’s owners, Kujtim Dauti, on June 26 because they were so impressed by the food and scenic grounds. Their wedding date was set for Aug. 28, 2010 and sealed with a $1,500 deposit to Fratelli’s. They excitedly coordinated the menu for their special event. A year later: The couple is still blissfully engaged, it’s February 2010. Loretta decides to make reservations for a repeat combination Valentine’s Day and birthday celebration. From her Hardyston home she dials and is astonished to hear the pre-recorded message that indicates Fratelli’s phone line is no longer in service. Bill drives to Fratelli’s, and finds it closed, without a sign of life. They look up the owner’s home phone number, which also turns out to be disconnected. On its Web site the restaurant is still aglow, portraying a romantically lit, glimmering location under the stars. The reality for Loretta and Bill is the lifelessness of the location, with only a few exterior bulbs lit, the walkways unshoveled, and not a soul on the premises. “We were in shock and couldn’t believe someone would take our money and not contact us,” Loretta said. “It has been very stressful.” Although their checking account is currently $1,500 in the red, the devastated couple searched for other venues while keeping their fingers crossed they will be able to amicably resolve the situation with the restaurant and be reimbursed their money. Thankfully, the couple had not booked other services for the day such as a photographer or florist, because they were unable to book the same date with other locations. Loretta and Bill were able to secure Perona Farms for a different date and are looking forward to their rescheduled wedding at the new setting. Where to complain: According to Tammie Horsfield, President of the Sussex County Chamber of Commerce, their organization occasionally receives inquiries from residents on how to resolve disputes with area businesses. The chamber refers requests to the State of New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs. Among its many duties, the agency accepts consumer complaints and works together to arbitrate issues between the business and consumer. For more information, contact: 800-242-5846, or see their Web site: http://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov.