Power Out, Savin Rock Roasting Company Remains Committed To Mystic

Knowing the troubles of the Ramada Mystic Hotel—bankruptcy filings, electricity turned off by CL&P, hotel closed by the town—there are not a lot of businesses that would be willing to take a chance and open a new eatery in the adjoining restaurant.

There are even fewer that would be willing to stick around after just days before the restaurant was slated to open. Savin Rock Roasting Company, however, is no typical business—they’re not only sticking around they’re thanking the town and the community for their support.

“I’ve been better,” General Manager Keith McDonald said Friday. Thursday evening McDonald was shocked when CL&P workers came to , which adjoins the restaurant and said they had to turn off power, thereby closing the hotel and delaying the restaurant's opening.

The Ramada, according to First Selectman Edward Ed Haberek Jr., once again was unable to pay its electric bill and had power turned off. Since the hotel and restaurant share a transformer there was no way to keep power on just to the restaurant, which is a separate business with different owners.

McDonald scrambled to postpone training for staff, a tasting menu and to store $10,000 worth of food. Still McDonald said Savin Rock Roasting Company isn’t going anywhere.

“We believe in that property, we know we could make a difference and try to turn it around,” McDonald said.

Savin Rock Roasting Company owns several restaurants in southwestern Connecticut, but according to McDonald is hoping the Mystic restaurant will be the foundation for future expansions.

“We want to bring that neighborhood feeling back to Mystic,” McDonald said. “We’re not to going to charge a local person a tourist price.”

The restaurant tried everything to keep the power on to the Ramada. They along with the movie production company filming offered to put up the money to keep the power on and are continuing to work to get power restored.

They also worked with the state fire marshal to see if there was a way to keep power to just one part of the building and Haberek had asked about a generator but that wasn’t an option due to safety procedures..

“It’s very upsetting,” Haberek said.

Still Savin Rock Roasting Company credited the state fire marshal, town officials and the health inspector’s office for their support and for coming down to see what could be done to help. McDonald was also thankful of other local restaurants that offered to store the restaurant’s food saying the community support was one positive aspect of the whole situation. But McDonald worried about his staff many of whom he said gave up other jobs to work for Savin Rock Roasting Company.

While the restaurant will not be open as scheduled on Monday McDonald hopes power will be restored and they can spend next week preparing for an opening.

“There are a lot of frustrations, but we think we can persevere,” McDonald said. “We’re not giving up.”