The Oldest Bar in Branford

As it turns out, it's difficult to track down much printed history about the Elm Cafe. When it opened in May of 1952, the Branford Review didn't run an article about it. Instead, over the weeks surrounding the opening, there were articles about a sixth grader presenting a project on the history of Austria at school, an award-winning essay from a high schooler about early Branford, and church listings that ran under the heading "Take a Friend!" So the news coverage was a little bit different back in 1952!

Luckily, Patty Bonci was able to fill in some of the picture for me. The Elm Cafe was opened by Ray "Moose" Bonci on Elm Street. Some time over the next twenty years (Ray and Patty got married in 1972), it moved to Main Street. For awhile, it was co-owned by Anthony Yasevac, who, sadly, just passed away on June 18. Anthony's family opened another landmark eating establishment -- the Meadow Restaurant (better known as the Eel Pot) back in 1947.

While Patty wasn't around for the beginning of the Elm Cafe, she knows that prior to the current bar being there, there's evidence for a prohibition era speakeasy having stood on the same spot. Eleven years ago, when the Bonci's knocked down an old shed on the property, they found an entrance to an underground passage that goes all the way back to the bocci courts. 

According to a 2005 article in the New Haven Register, the Elm Cafe is indeed the oldest bar in Branford. Maria Garriga wrote:

Generations of locals have shared their lives at this tiny watering hole, little more than a long bar and a pool table with a few personal photos tacked up. From a jukebox, Billy Joel sings the working man's blues in the background and customers suck down Budweiser straight from the can. The clients wear blue jeans, plaid shirts, leather jackets or fisherman's vests. That much remains the same.

Garriga's article was on the topic of the 2005 restaurant smoking ban; she noted that in early years at the Elm Cafe, patrons were known to tip ashtrays onto the floor to make room for the ash from their current cigarettes.

Moose Bonci, a lifelong resident of Branford, died at the age of 59 on March 27, 1988. He'd owned and operated the Elm Cafe for 36 years. His family has continued to keep his legacy alive -- and it's clear from the photos of the 60th anniversary celebration that the Elm Cafe patrons are dedicated to keeping Moose's memory alive, too.