Middle East Proprietors Seek Support to Expand Into Former T.T.'s Space

Joseph and Nabil Sater, the brothers who own Central Square's Middle East Restaurant & Nightclub, ZuZu Restaurant, and the surrounding block, began circulating a petition last night seeking neighborhood support in a quest to expand business to the recently-vacated 10 Brookline St. A different rock club, T.T. the Bear's Place, inhabited that space for more than 30 years before shuttering last month.

The petition, published in its entirety on Vanyaland and also available in online form, was passed around at the Middle East last night during the opening shows of this weekend's Boston Fuzzstival, and it will be available to sign at the Middle East and ZuZu tonight, too.

The Saters plan to bring the signed petition to the Cambridge licensing board in hopes of gaining permission to operate the space as a separate entity from their current 194- and 575-person venues, they told Vanyaland. The petition reads, in part:

"We feel that this increase would have no negative impact on the neighborhood and in fact would be a benefit to the Central Square area and the City of Cambridge given that they would merely be occupying the space previously occupied by a club that did not serve food."

Joseph Sater told Vanyaland the plan is to leave the T.T's space "the way it is," but the wording in the petition sounds like they may look to bring in food service.

The $7.1 million sale the Saters inked in December included 10 Brookline St., as well as Central Convenience at 468 Mass. Ave. T.T.'s owner Bonney Bouley previously said the rent increase the brothers demanded was a deciding factor toward closing up shop.