Hartford Business Journal

8 Hartford Business Journal • January 13, 2020 • www.HartfordBusiness.com By Joe Cooper jcooper@hartfordbusiness.com T he co-founders of Wood- n-Tap Bar & Grill made a major financial gam- ble when they opened their first restaurant in Hartford almost two decades ago. The four founding partners — only two of which remain today — were ripe with restaurant experience, but initially lacked the financial war chest to get the Sisson Avenue business off the ground. They pieced together an undis- closed sum from personal savings and credit-card cash advances to launch a self-described "American casual" pub that became the first Wood-n-Tap. Today, the restaurant franchise is far from a boot-strapped opera- tion. In fact, remaining partners Phil Barnett and Mike Hamlin have built parent company Hartford Restau- rant Group into a roughly $32-mil- lion business with 10 restaurants and about 700 employees, quietly making them two of the region's most prolific restaurateurs. They were also on the forefront of adopting a full-service, fast-casual concept, at a time when detractors said the model wouldn't be successful. Their latest investment has been their priciest. The longtime friends spent $1.3 million in June 2018 to acquire the building and 3.3 acres formerly oc- cupied by the financially troubled Apricots Restaurant in Farmington, and spent millions more to renovate the now 250-seat eatery and events- space known for its sweeping views of the Farmington River. "Apricots was the place to be in the 1980s and 90s," Hamlin said. "When I was growing up in West Hartford, if someone said they were going to Apricots, it was a big deal. But I think over the years they never reinvested in the building," which was constructed in 1880. Hartford Restaurant Group's portfolio has Wood-n-Tap locations in highly dense areas of Newington, Southington, Rocky Hill, Vernon, Wallingford, Hamden and Orange; the company will be adding a Wood- n-Tap in Enfield this spring. But it hasn't all been easy for the group. In late 2016, HRG closed its TD Homer sports bar and grill restau- rant in Southington to concentrate on its Wood-n-Tap brand. In the years before and after the closure, Barnett and Hamlin also split with founding partners Wil Quijano and Kenny McAvoy. Barnett said they were critical to Wood-n- Tap's development, but had different long-term visions for the business. They also lost Mexican restaurant Agave Grill in downtown Hartford to McAvoy as part of the breakup. The group in 2018 repurposed its shuttered TD Homer eatery into the Que Whiskey Kitchen, a southern- barbecue restaurant located across the street from a Wood-n-Tap. Headquartered in Hartford's ex- Lyman Kitchens manufacturing build- ing on Bartholomew Avenue, HRG uses about 20 percent of its annual profits for capital improvements on its restaurant facilities. That's part of the way it keeps its competitive edge. In Farmington in recent years, Barnett and Hamlin had been hop- ing to expand their 15-year-old restaurant at 1274 Farmington Ave., until they learned Apricots' 7,800-square-foot location down the road was for sale. They offered to buy Apricots the next day, then spent more than a year deliv- ering a complete makeover to the two- floor restaurant and its outdoor seating area on Route 4. The restaurant, which also now includes 150 parking spaces, reopened as Wood-n-Tap in October. Barnett and Hamlin say they splurged in sprucing up the brick, wood and iron-clad eatery. "One of these days we will figure out how much we spent," Barnett said laughing in agreement with Hamlin, his long-time friend and partner. "We spent more than we wanted to, but our goal was to do it right." Growth strategy Barnett and Hamlin have plenty of ideas on how to grow a restaurant business. After all, they each spent numerous years in the industry in many entry-level positions. Barnett, 45, a Windham native, attended Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) for a short stint but ultimately opted for a steady paycheck in the restaurant business moving his way up from a dishwash- er, server, bartender and eventually Staying Power Hartford Restaurant Group quietly builds a $32M Wood-n-Tap empire Mike Hamlin (left) and Phil Barnett have steadily grown the Hartford Restaurant Group since the partners debuted their first Wood-n-Tap restaurant in 2002.

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