Stamford’s Fortina charging $35 fee for rooftop dining to ‘survive’

The Stamford location of the Fortina restaurant chain is welcoming back patrons for sit-down dining with new reservation fees on its rooftop space.

Fortina rooftop dining Stamford The Harbor Point eatery is opening its patio for dining on a free first come-first served basis, but access to the rooftop will require a $35 per person reservation fee along with a $15 per person food and drink minimum plus tax and gratuity.

The rooftop dining space opened in 2016 as the Pizza Surf Club with a separate food and drink menu from the main restaurant. Fortina used its Instagram account to announce the access fees and defended its policy when social media followers expressed criticism of the plan.

“In order to keep the rooftop open, we need to make sure we”™re adhering to strict safety guidelines and are able to pay our employees a living wage,” the restaurant”™s management said on Instagram. “The $35 will make a small dent in what it takes to keep the restaurant open and pay our staff. We”™re trying to survive through all this and see y”™all on the other side.”