A Brooklyn couple who lost their entire $34,000 wedding payment when reBar owner Jason Stevens shuttered the venue earlier this month has filed the first lawsuit against the pub owner.
Stevens shuttered the trendy DUMBO bar and wedding venue on May 9, leaving hundreds of couples with no place to get married and their hundreds of thousands of dollars in wedding deposits nowhere to be found.
Park Slope architect Nancy Nienberg says Stevens personally convinced her and fiancée Jennifer Liseo that reBar was the perfect place to hold their September wedding, according to her Brooklyn Supreme Court lawsuit.
“Stevens supported his sales pitch to [Nienberg] by advising her that reBar’s wedding hosting services were all inclusive and that if [Nienberg] held her wedding celebration at reBar, Stevens would deal directly with all necessary vendors,” the suit states.
“Stevens took [Nienberg] to the roof and took pictures with the New York skyline in the background to further convince them that reBar the best venue for their wedding.”
Stevens even first quoted them a price of $45,000 before lowering the price to about $34,000 – if she paid the dough up front in April.
The wedding contract Nienberg signed with Stevens lays out the ingredients for a Brooklyn dream wedding, with premium wine and beer, a house DJ, dinner and even karaoke, according to court documents.
The suit demands the return of their $34,000 payment plus at least $25,000 and legal fees.
Couples who lost their money to Stevens gathered outside Brooklyn Supreme Court on Thursday to shout “Where’s our money?” and “You’re a thief!” as Stevens walked outside after appearing in court on tax fraud charges.