The man behind the Zero Bond club ticked off a village in the Hamptons

When Scott Sartiano, 49, tried to bring his business to The Hedges Inn, a historic 1873 inn in East Hampton Village, he was met with a firestorm of backlash from town neighbors and local officials, The Journal reported. His new business was supposed to be an extension of Zero Bond, but is now positioned and operating as a restaurant after the site’s conversion to a late-night venue was rejected.

Sartiano said there was a “vendetta” against him, a claim the mayor denied, according to The Journal report.

Sartiano and the East Hampton mayor’s office did not respond to a request from Business Insider.

“Look, nobody’s invested in this more than me. I live next door, right?” Sartiano said, according to the report. “If it’s not value-added, I’ll be the worst.”

Earlier this year, village officials proposed new legislation that would prohibit any “food and beverage establishment” in the historic village from staying open between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., according to a report by local publication The East Hampton Star . The Hedges Inn was already forced to stop serving at 10pm due to a previous agreement in 1981.

A later report from the East Hampton Star said the proposal was well received, with more than 30 letters of approval between April and May. Residents expressed concern about how the nightlife could disrupt the quiet residential historic district.

A local law banning dining in “late night restaurant clubs” between 11pm and 5am in the historic district was then passed until the end of June, local news reports said.

That didn’t stop Sartiano from going ahead with his plans to open an establishment — or the locals from resisting him. Before the restaurant opened, the mayor sent out a letter with a phone number to call in the event of a disturbance at the historic village inns, The Journal reported. The city told The Journal the letter was sent to clarify the closing time due to confusion.

Once the restaurant opened, it became the focus of complaints. In the middle of one of the opening nights, a building inspector arrived because of a potential fire hazard from a $35,000 floral arrangement, the report said. Officers also made consistent appearances during the restaurant’s dinner hours due to noise complaints, according to The Journal report.

Locals have also taken an active stance towards the business, with the availability of “Zero Chance, Neighbors United Against Nightclubs” stickers.

Despite the rough start, Sartiano’s restaurant, which operates three nights a week, seems to be doing well. In its first month of operation, it has already attracted important figures such as Meghan Markle.