4 2 C T I N N O V A T O R S , 2 0 2 2
Making A 'Statement'
With focus on trendy vibe, social media and analytics, Luari's growing
Hartford restaurant group eyes national expansion
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BY MICHAEL PUFFER
Hartford-based Gjinovefa "Gina" Luari has opened four restau-
rants in the past six years and has six more in various stages of de-
velopment.
"I always tell my team there are two things you can't get back in
life, time and opportunity," Luari says. "And you can't waste either
one of those."
Luari certainly hasn't.
At 24, Luari decided to reopen a shuttered diner in a strip retail
plaza on Hartford's Franklin Avenue. She took out a $26,000 credit
line and, with elbow grease volunteered by friends and family, cre-
ated a vibrant atmosphere that would appeal to her as a younger
customer.
Patrons can swing in chairs suspended from the ceiling, or take a
dip in a tub filled with plastic ball-pit balls. e drinks are colorful,
topped with small rubber ducks. e restaurant serves breakfast
dishes with an artistic flair all day.
"We are experience-based, from the spaces we design to the food
we make," Luari says. "I think that's what makes our brand exciting."
Aided by over-the-top and dynamic food presentation, an in-
clusive culture and a steady stream of slick, sexy and smart social
Gina Luari is the
CEO and founder of
The Place 2 Be, a
growing restaurant
chain focused on a
trendy vibe.
