Hartford Business Journal

14 Hartford Business Journal • September 18, 2017 • www.HartfordBusiness.com By John Stearns gbordonaro@HartfordBusiness.com M ax Restaurant Group shut- tered its flagship prop- erty, Max Downtown, this summer for a $1.5 million facelift aimed at modern- izing Max's look, broadening its customer demographic and competing with restau- rant powerhouse West Hartford, where Max also has a formidable presence. The new Max Downtown, scheduled to reopen on or about Sept. 20, is perhaps the highest-profile restaurant project in down- town Hartford given its 21-year history and reputation for top-notch dining. But Max isn't the only one sticking a fork in compla- cency and forging ahead with big invest- ments in downtown's future. Among them, Rob Maffucci in May opened his new downtown Hartford res- taurant, V's Trattoria, replacing his former Vito's By The Park in a project costing upwards of $1 million, and Stephen Lewan- dowski opened the Harlan Brasserie in May inside the renovated Goodwin Hotel. Others include the June opening of Chan- go Rosa in the former Hot Tomato's at Union Station by the owners of Bear's Smokehouse BBQ, whose busy year also included debut- ing Blind Pig Pizza Co. in January in their former Bear's location on Arch Street after Bear's Smokehouse relocated to Front Street near the new UConn Hartford campus last October. They also opened a Bear's conces- sion inside Dunkin' Donuts Park in April and partnered on a restaurant, The Cook & The Bear, in West Hartford this summer. The proprietors are doing what they say they must in a competitive restaurant industry, stay fresh and relevant, while also benefiting from and contributing to an increasingly improved — dare we say "cool" — city center enlivened by the new baseball stadium, university campus, and apartments commanding healthy rents and occupancies from young professionals to empty-nesters. Steve Abrams, a partner in Max Restau- rant Group, said West Hartford is a good example of synergy established by multiple restaurants where customers exposed to one get exposed to others, benefiting all. "The best thing that could happen to Hartford is more restaurants being opened," Abrams said, excited by Harlan's opening across Haynes Street from Max Downtown and by a downtown that real estate develop- ers tell him is about to get a jumpstart. Harlan's Lewandowski said he'll be among the first to visit the new-look Max to see if there's anything he can learn and possibly apply to future restaurants, including one in Bridgeport this fall and a couple other pos- sible projects in and out of Connecticut. He already has three among Hartford, Stam- ford and Norwalk. Restaurants shouldn't fear new or updated competitors and must stay fresh with changes that extend beyond seasonal dishes, Lewandowski said. "I think you're foolish if you don't look at it as an educational thing," he said. "If you look at it as a negative of, 'Oh it's just another restaurant that's trying to compete with me,' I think it's shortsighted when you do that." Cheryl McDonald, co-owner of Bear's Restaurant Group with her husband, Jamie, aka "The Bear" from his competitive eating days, thinks similarly. "We've always believed that having choice increases business for everyone," McDonald said. People were skeptical when Bear's said it was opening in Hartford three years ago after starting in Windsor, McDonald said. "They're like, 'Are you crazy? Do you know Hartford's dead on the weekends, dead at night, you're not going to have any dinner business and you'll have no weekend business?' " she said. "I think we've proven them wrong, we've given them a reason to come to Hart - ford" for barbecue, along with the many other reasons people come downtown, whether for the arts, sports, school, work or home. There's a lot to do downtown and its Menu Refresh Downtown Hartford restaurateurs are investing millions in renovations, new eateries to stay competitive, attract Millennials. Cheryl and Jamie McDonald, owners of Bear's Restaurant Group, have expanded their presence significantly in downtown since opening Bear's Smokehouse BBQ three years ago. Rob Maffucci, inside his new V's Trattoria he opened downtown in May, likes the activity he sees on Hartford's streets from things like the new Dunkin' Donuts Park and new apartments. PHOTO | HBJ FILE HBJ PHOTO | STEVE LASCHEVER

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