Downtown Hartford Restaurant Announces Closure

HARTFORD, CT — The Blind Pig Pizza Co. has announced that it will close its Hartford location at 89 Arch St. next week, according to a statement on the restaurant's Facebook page. The restaurant will close for business Oct. 3.

The company that owns the restaurant has offered employees the opportunity to continue working at one of the other chain's locations. Bear Restaurant Group operates three other establishments in the state in Windsor, Hartford, and New Haven, and Bear's Smokehouse in Asheville, NC.

"This has been a difficult decision for our team, especially given the long history of the location to our company as it was the original Bear's Smokehouse BBQ in Hartford," Cheryl Antoncic, co-owner of Blind Pig Pizza Co., said in a statement. "We are extremely grateful for the opportunity Hartford has afforded us and the staff's commitment over the years to providing exceptional food and service. We look forward to a strong future as a company as we continue to navigate the effect of COVID."

Loyal fans expressed their reactions to the news in comments on the restaurant's Facebook post.

One commenter said: "No! Best pizza anywhere we were planning on eating there after the marathon."

Another user wrote: "I drive an hour every week for your pizza it will be missed in our home so sorry to hear this."

The company cited the reason for the closure as "a very difficult but strategic decision to support the long-term plan and create a sustainable future of the Bear Smokehouse brands that are located throughout CT."

Restaurants have been hit hard by the pandemic across the state. In Hartford, Stella's African Eatery closed earlier this year. The Gold Roc diner in West Hartford has also closed.

The Connecticut Restaurant Association issued a plea in August for federal relief for the state's restaurants. At that time Connecticut had more than 2,066 pending applications that total more than $489 million in stabilization funding that would be addressed by the $60 billion proposed replenishment bills.

See related: Connecticut Restaurant Group To Feds: Speed Up Pandemic Aid

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