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Restaurant owners happy they can stay open to 11pm

State make moves in line with NY, Mass, RI

WEST HARTFORD, Conn — While so many restaurants have had to shut their doors because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Restaurant Bricco in West Hartford continues to push through.

“We’ve been here in West Hartford for 25 years so I knew that both my restaurants were in good market places and the take out for me was a very good sign,” said Chef Billy Grant, Owner of Restaurant Bricco in West Hartford and Bricco Trattoria in Glastonbury.

Chef Grant said he is fortunate that Bricco’s doors are open, and hopes other eateries will be able to survive as well.

“That fear of closing it didn’t get that way for me,” said Grant. “I know it is for many people. I feel very blessed it didn’t go there, but these have been trying times for our industry for sure,” Grant said.

Connecticut Restaurant Association Executive Director, Scott Dolch said a survey of food distributors in November indicated over 600 restaurants had closed in Connecticut. However, there was some good news Monday.

Governor Ned Lamont, in a COVID-19 news briefing, said the state’s positivity rate and hospitalizations from the coronavirus started trending down. He said businesses, like restaurants, can extend curfew to 11:00pm.

“A., our rates are down,” Governor Lamont said. “I think our restaurants particularly are really operated professionally, doing everything they could to keep you safe. B., our friends in New York have relaxed to a 10 o’clock curfew,” Governor Lamont said.

Residents said they were excited to see progress and hoped Connecticut can work together to stay safe.

“As long as people wear their mask and stay 6 feet apart I think we’re gonna be all right,” said Hartford Resident Leonard Nelson.

Mask-wearing has been one of Grants’ biggest concerns during the pandemic.

Lamont said Massachusetts and Rhode Island have also lifted curfews, and he believes things can start to return to some type of normalcy, as long as people keep their guard up.

This means washing hands, practicing social distancing, and wearing a mask.

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