Restaurant Owners Pleased With Extended Hours Granted By Governor

CONNECTICUT — Restaurant owners in Hartford and Tolland counties are pleased by Gov. Ned Lamont's decision to extend business hours to 11 p.m. instead of 10 p.m.

"Our better numbers are allowing us to slightly relax some of the restrictions," Lamont said at a news conference Monday, noting that they tend to skew toward an older demographic that is now getting coronavirus vaccinations.

The restaurant curfew will be pushed back from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. with 50 percent dining capacity. Lamont noted other nearby states have eliminated or pushed their curfews later into the night, but generally Connecticut allows a higher capacity limit.

"It's a welcome decision, and the right move by the governor," said Mark Dion, owner of Mark's Tavern in East Windsor and Mark's Restaurant in Enfield. "This boosts confidence to all businesses and the public, as it's a step closer toward normalcy as we see continued improvement against this virus."

Ruvin Bogati, general manager of Fork & Fire in Farmington, told Patch, "We are very excited, it's a move in the right direction. It will help restore our restaurant's vibe. We did not enjoy turning on the lights and turning off the music at 9:30; it's just not who we are."

"A lot of us in the industry are thrilled to hear about the extended hours," said Miguel Proano, one of the owners of the Blue Plate Kitchen in West Hartford. "Some that are in the bar business rely heavily on those hours for a big portion of their sales, especially leading up to the Super Bowl. Being able to add a half to a whole additional seating in the evening is huge. But what is most encouraging about this, is that this is hopefully the start of better things to come, in the way of easing restrictions, which will be a welcomed change by the entire industry."

Tammy Bourque of Lena's Italian Kitchen in Manchester said, "The hours don't really affect our restaurant, but it is really nice that they are easing up on some of the restrictions. It’s been a struggle, for sure, these past 12 months, with the courts, schools and area businesses being remote."

"We are very pleased to move in the right direction," said Ken Bedard of Pizza Palace in Enfield. "Looking forward to be given the all-clear to reopen 100 percent."

Paula Molina, who works at the Tobacco Shed Cafe in Windsor, simply said, "I'm just thankful!"

The Connecticut Restaurant Association applauded Lamont's change.

"This is another step in that direction, and the extra hour will be a benefit to restaurants across the state," said Scott Dolch, executive director of the association in a statement. "At the same time, it's important that we take further steps in the weeks ahead, including fully lifting this curfew just as neighboring Massachusetts and Rhode Island have done. Connecticut can continue to be a leader on fighting COVID while also being mindful of our economic recovery."

Patch editors Chris Dehnel and Rich Scinto contributed to this story.

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