Former Jimmies location goes officially up for sale

By Dominic Konareski

Voice Writer

The home of one of the city’s best-known restaurants is seeking a new owner. Jimmies of Savin Rock closed its doors 10 months ago, and is now under contract with a commercial real estate company.

Owned by the Gagliardi family under the business name of Jimmies Inc., city records show. The Gagliardi family ultimately said that it was simply the right time to close after five generations, closing after a century in business. 

Recently, RIPCO Real Estate listed the property for sale as a “rare opportunity to acquire a premier waterfront development site,” while also having the listing further described as a “truly distinctive investment.”  

The property at 5 Rock St. takes up nearly seven acres and is adjacent to Long Island Sound. RIPCO doesn’t have the asking price included in the listing, although the site is assessed at a value of $2,003,050. Overall, the building itself features an outdoor dining option and is a 12,923-square-foot building that features a 285-space parking lot. In its entirety, the property is being sold as two parcels. 

Mayor Dorinda Borer stated, “I’m sure they will begin to see interest very soon and we will begin to learn more as things progress.”  

Next to the now-closed restaurant is The Kelsey at Savin Rock, which is under construction on the footprint of the former Savin Rock Conference Center. Planned to be a multi-level waterfront restaurant and event venue once opened, The Kelsey has a projected completion and opening date marked for the end of 2026, per its website.

The Jimmies property is zoned as an SCR (Shoreline Commercial) and sits inside the city’s Coastal Management Area (Flood Zone AE). The SCR zoning designation allows it to stay as a restaurant and a food-service business, while also being renovated as a retail store, hotel or motel, subject to applicable regulations. The proposed use must be permitted in SCR, with any new building addition or renovations possibly needed for zoning, building to costal related approvals.  

RIPCO’s 13-page brochure also notes statistics from a one-mile to three-mile radius around the property. The statistics include population, household income, and businesses. 

The brochure also states how the scenery comprising views of New Haven Harbor and Long Island Sound creates a “compelling setting for future residential, mixed-use, hospitality, or destination-oriented development, subject to approvals.”