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10 Hartford Business Journal • December 4, 2017 • www.HartfordBusiness.com By Gregory Seay gseay@HartfordBusiness.com A nticipation for a sales boost was palpable among many of downtown Hartford's owner- operators of shops, restau- rants and service providers prior to the debut of UConn's relocated campus to Front Street. But in the months since the campus' formal opening Aug. 23, there are signs the expected ramp-up hasn't hit all downtown merchants evenly — if at all. While several small shops, like Dhaba Wala Indian Restaurant and the Parlor 55 barber shop, both in the Asylum Street retail annex attached to the 777 Main apartment tower, have opened, and two more are planned on nearby Pratt Street, at least two downtown merchants have shut their doors. Nixs seafood restaurant, one of a half- dozen eateries occupying the Front Street retail development, abruptly closed recently amid an ongoing tenant-landlord dispute. French-American restaurant Harlan Bras- serie, which opened in the newly renovated Goodwin Hotel in May, also recently closed. Hartford Sweat, housed inside the former 777 Main St. bank building, shut its doors recently, but reopened shortly thereafter. Despite being hopeful, remaining mer- chants said the expected boost in customer traffic and sales from UConn's presence will take more time to fully materialize. Until that happens, downtown retailers are reporting mixed experiences. The added foot traffic from spring-sum- mertime baseball at Dunkin' Donuts Park and the addition of new residents down- town has boosted some bars and restau- rants, but many center-city streets are still dotted with empty storefronts. At the corner of Main and Pratt streets, Massachusetts entrepreneur Kevin Tos opened last spring his first Connecticut eatery, Gyro & Kabob House, at 22 Pratt St., next door to Sorella Restaurant. But lunch- dinner dine-in and takeout traffic has yet to meet his projections. "I was expecting more customers with UConn moving in and more apartments,'' Tos said. His volume shortfall, however, hasn't stopped other retailers from weighing or establishing downtown Hartford locations. Farmington commercial broker Eric Amodio said his brokerage has witnessed more interest from tenants about locating in the center city. "It was pretty quiet a year ago,'' said Amodio, managing partner of Amodio & Co. Real Estate. "Now we're getting a couple of calls a week.'' According to Jennifer Cassidy, merchant coordinator for Business for Downtown Hartford, an advocate for center-city busi- nesses and merchants, and others knowl- edgeable about downtown's merchant mix, at least two new retail establishments — Night Sky Hookah Lounge and Painting With A Twist wine bar — are looking to open downtown soon. In addition, The Russell, a bar-restaurant at Pratt and Trumbull streets, plans to turn vacant space next door into a Caribbean meals-to-go counter. The wine bar is eyeing storefront space at 55 Pratt St. that once housed a "pop-up'' sales outlet for downtown fashion retailer Morneault's Stackpole Moore Tryon. At 95 Pratt St., Night Sky's sponsors have applied to the city to open a smoking parlor, where food and beverages would be served, said Amodio, who is Night Sky's lease broker. Juan Ramos of East Hartford said he and a business partner have been plotting their hookah venture for three years and plan to open Night Sky by New Year's Eve, at the earliest. Ramos said they are drawn to downtown's rising resident population, UConn's campus opening and event activity at the XL Center. "Downtown is missing a lot when it comes to a variety of venues and businesses,'' he said. The proposed hookah lounge would be next door to The Tobacco Shop, 89 Pratt St., another longtime downtown retail fixture. Owner Gerald "Gerry" Grate, who is past president of Business for Downtown Hartford, said he welcomes any new retail, including a hookah lounge, to Pratt Street or anywhere else downtown. Despite noticing more young people walking downtown's streets, Grate said that has not yet translated to more business for his shop. Trinity College, too, is preparing to open a campus downtown. "It's a wee bit early for any residuals from opening UConn's campus,'' Grate said. Other merchants trying out new center- city spaces include WIP Fitness, which opened Aug. 8 at 55 Pratt St. Co-founder Mary Kate Doyle said she chose Hartford for WIP's third location after rejecting several potential suburban spots. WIP is also in Avon and West Hartford. Doyle said she and business partner Laura Jean Keever made their choice after spending six weeks walking all over downtown several times, talking to city and state development officials, apartment and retail landlords, retail tenants and potential WIP clients. "We sort of found a different community,'' Doyle said, than the one cast in myth as a neighborhood that is out of the way, shuts down early and lacks residential foot traffic. They're happy with their downtown Hart- ford choice so far, Doyle said, noting many Waiting for Critical Mass Downtown's expanding retail scene awaits a sales, traffic uptick Kevin Tos (above and featured on the cover) opened his Gyro & Kabob House restaurant downtown earlier this year. He says he's yet to see much UConn traffic. Entrepreneurs Laura Jean Keever and Mary Kate Doyle overcame skepticism and chose downtown for their third WIP Fitness in the Hartford area. PHOTOS | BILL MORGAN