The Danielle family, owners of Mario's Via Abruzzi in Brighton, is calling an e-mail it sent to restaurant patrons offering gift cards for speaking at a public forum ill-advised.
In a letter sent Thursday to Brighton Supervisor Sandra Frankel and Brighton Town Board members, Mario Daniele called the offer of a gift "poor judgment" and apologized.
Before a town board meeting on Wednesday, July 28, an e-mail was sent to patrons of Mario's who had signed up for e-mail updates about the restaurant. The e-mail asked residents to attend the meeting and speak out regarding a proposed car wash at the intersection of Monroe Avenue and Clover Street. The Danielle family is seeking to build the car wash there, on a site which previously housed a Mobil gas station. At Wednesday's meeting and at a previous hearing, dozens of residents have spoken out against the measure, with most of them stating concerns about traffic and safety.
In the e-mail to Mario's customers, the Danielle family promised a $25 gift card to anyone who spoke about the project, "for or against it."
"We need as many people as possible to attend the public board meeting tonight at 8:30 p.m. at the town of Brighton Town Hall to let the board know if you would like this new business to move forward," read the e-mail.
Frankel quickly responded to the apology.
"While perhaps not technically illegal, this e-mail was ill advised and shows poor judgment," said Frankel in a letter to Danielle.
