CT Startup Café Opens Second Location in Hartford

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CT Startup Café Opens Second Location in Hartford

July 24 2018 Innovation Destination: Hartford CT Lifestyle, Where Are They Now? 0 comments

Berkins Blend’s newest location, Berkins on Oak will open on Oak Street in Hartford in July 2018.

Where Are They Now? Follow Up with Berkins Blend Co-Owner Andréa Hawkins

In April 2017, Innovation Destination Hartford Website Curator Nan Price spoke with Berkins Blend Café Andréa Hawkins and Doug Barber about their experience participating in the 2017 reSET Impact Accelerator and opening their first concept cyber café (read the interview: Startup Concept Cyber Café Promotes Community Building).

In June 2018, Berkins Blend won 2^nd place Best Coffee Shop for the CTNOW Best of Hartford Readers' Poll and announced it was expanding to Hartford and opening a second location, Berkins on Oak, in July.

NAN PRICE: You’re very involved in the entrepreneurial scene here in Connecticut. Where do you see the landscape heading?

ANDRÉA HAWKINS: Right now, I see a big push into technology. But I also see other new businesses— especially surrounding food (gourmet coffee, microbrew beer, vineyards and wine tasting rooms, spirits, vegetarian restaurants, ethnic fusion eats).

As an entrepreneur, it is fun to watch others pursue their dream of owning their own business. Doug and I really enjoy the food scene. We also enjoy watching how technology is changing the way we all live.

NAN: How are you building a customer base?

ANDRÉA: In our Glastonbury location, our customer base grew quite organically primarily through word of mouth. We were also helped by people who wrote articles about us in the paper, online (wink), and on TV.

Our Hartford location will be different, because our client base is already helping to spread the word. The new cafe will be located is in a building where 350 employees work. They have been missing having food in the building and we’re going to help ensure they’re not hungry!

NAN: Tell us about the importance of supporting entrepreneurship here in Connecticut.

ANDRÉA: Entrepreneurs fuel the economy by employing workers, bringing innovation to a region, and providing products and services to meet a local (or global) need. Areas that aren’t thriving in this way find it tough to attract people to come and stay. New businesses bring a vibrancy to the region.

NAN: What does being entrepreneurial mean to you?

ANDRÉA: We have choices about how we manage our business. Being an entrepreneur means we can provide a differentiated service and product. We can create community by offering a comfortable space and fresh foods and drinks. We can show our children they should not be afraid to try if they ever want to branch out on their own.

NAN: Aside from funding, what do you need most to move your company forward?

ANDRÉA: To move forward we rely on support, encouragement, and information. We’ve gotten to this point because we’re lucky to be surrounded by people who keep an eye on us, ask how they can help, and actually show up to help. We are blessed beyond belief!

Even our daughters get into mix—they’ve all had to make sacrifices for us to have our own business. They’ve been amazingly understanding and jump into help whenever they can—despite their own very busy schedules. We consider the business their legacy too.

NAN: Berkins on Oak opens later this month! How are you feeling about that?

ANDRÉA: We’re so excited to be opening at 21 Oak, Suite 101, in Hartford! We were surprised at how it all came together—and we have to give a shout-out to Jill Barry and the Connecticut Education Association (CEA). Jill told us about the space and highly recommended that we look at it. And the CEA is helping us get the shop opened. We’re planning to open by the end of July, provided all the city processes advance without issue.

NAN: Do you plan to open other locations in the future?

ANDRÉA: Other locations? Sure, why not?! Don't you want a Berkins Blend near you?

Find out more about Berkins Blend

VISIT: www.berkinsblendcafe.com
FOLLOW: Facebook | Twitter

For more about Berkins on Oak
FOLLOW: Facebook

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Parkville Sounds Provides a Creative Space for Musicians

July 12 2018 Innovation Destination: Hartford CT Lifestyle 0 comments Tags: artists, community, Connecticut, CT, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, Hartford, musicians, Parkville, Parkville Sounds, startup, startups

Stephen Cusano, Founder of Parkville Sounds, developed an innovative business concept that created a practice space in Hartford-based and touring musicians.

Innovation Destination Hartford Website Curator Nan Price visited Parkville Sounds and met with Founder Stephen Cusano to learn more about his startup, which provides space for Hartford-area musicians and artists as well as touring bands passing through the city.

NAN PRICE: Have you always been entrepreneurial?

STEPHEN CUSANO: Yes, absolutely. I’ve been playing the drums for a long time, which started me on my path playing my own gigs and trying to start my own band.

NAN: Artists and musicians are inherently entrepreneurial. You are your brand and your business, and you always have to market yourself.

STEPHEN: Right.

NAN: How did you develop the business concept for Parkville Sounds?

STEPHEN: It started out with a personal need. I went to the University of Hartford Hartt School of Music where I studied jazz specifically for just drums. I had a practice room at the school, but once I graduated I had to move my drums into my West End apartment. I couldn’t play there. I needed to figure out how I was going to practice. And I needed a place to make music whenever I wanted.

I wanted to stay in Hartford because I love Hartford. I found this place on Park Street in the Parkville neighborhood, which has allowed me to meet those goals. I can play 24/7 and I can make as much noise as I want.

I guess the entrepreneurial part of me had a vision. I saw bands needing a place to practice, needing a facility, and needing the services we offer. I saw a need in the Hartford area for local musicians and people passing through needing a facility where they could create.

I realized I could really help other artists and musicians hone in on their craft. For bands passing through, Parkville Sounds provides a space to practice and get a good video session. And it gives them another reason to stop in Hartford.

NAN: Did you base the idea on any other business model?

STEPHEN: Not particularly, but I knew there was no practice facility in Hartford for musicians. Growing up as a musician, I once took a lesson from a well-known drummer in New York City. We went to a rehearsal studio with many rooms. That was the first time this seed was really planted. I had never seen anything like that before. Usually my lessons were at a teacher’s house or at the school.

NAN: At what point did you realize this business model was viable and sustainable?

STEPHEN: We provide practice and rehearsal space, video sessions, and instrumental lessons and we also rent sound. It’s sustainable for me because I give lessons, I run this, and I perform. I’m also a touring musician. I’m out playing on the weekends with a lot of different bands.

Parkville Sounds is home to multiple musicians who live in Hartford. It helps them out because a lot of our lesson teachers live in a place where they can’t bring students in. For example, it’s been great to see people want to take lessons from Mike DiPanfilo, the guitarist for Hartford-based funk/soul band West End Blend.

And renting out the space for band practicing is a huge part of our business. Some people just want to make some noise or get together and play with each other. I love that! There’s a guy who comes here twice a week and plays bagpipes at 6:00 a.m. There’s no other place in Hartford where you can do that!

NAN: Was your overhead relatively low when you opened? Did you already have most of the equipment?

STEPHEN: I’ve got drums for days because it’s all my stuff! Little by little, I’ve been getting more equipment. Before I opened the business, I didn’t have too much. I knew what to get and I bought what I knew would be needed.

NAN: And you’re entirely self-funded?

STEPHEN: Yes. I’ve never asked for funding; the business has been floating and paying for itself. It’s really working quite well.

NAN: And how are you marketing?

STEPHEN: Mostly social media. We’ve gotten a fair amount of press, too.

NAN: Aside from you, who else is involved in Parkville Sounds?

STEPHEN: It’s me mostly. Connor Millican, co-founder of IdleWilde Printing Company helps me out with a lot of the video editing, branding, and graphic design. IdleWilde is just across the hall, so that’s convenient. Jillian Foley, owner of The Dance Collective is our operating officer. She’s very talented. Jill schedules our lesson teachers, runs social media, and developed our website. She’s our point of contact.

Hartford-based Parkville Sounds provides a creative space for musicians.

Connor and Jill have helped me a lot. When we first moved here, this basement was an empty space. We got a great deal, but the deal was that the landlord would put up some walls and we would do the rest. We moved in January 2017 with just some bare walls. We did all the interior stuff ourselves.

It took us from January to April to finally open the doors. The landlord saw what we did and helped increase the space for us, which has doubled our size. Now we have three different rooms where we can have a lesson, rehearsals loading in, and another person practicing. Having multiple rooms has opened up a lot of opportunities for our business.

NAN: As far as the business side of things, do you have a business background?

STEPHEN: No. My father is a successful businessman. I’ve learned so much from him. He worked on some well-known products at Anheuser-Busch, Famous Amos, and Cape Cod Potato Chips. With anything business-oriented, he’s the first person I call because he gives me the guidance I need. I don’t have that study, but he has given it to me, in a way.

NAN: Any other local mentors?

STEPHEN: The co-owners of Hog River Brewing Co. have been huge mentors to a lot of the people in the Parkville neighborhood. Watching Ben and Joy Braddock run that business has been instrumental to our growth. We’ve been working closely together now with Connor to develop a weekly concert series called Twang Thursdays. We’re trying to get more music and more collaboration in the neighborhood.

NAN: Parkville is becoming a hub of creativity and innovation. There’s so much energy with places like reSET, Hands on Hartford and the Café at Fifty Five, Hog River Brewing, IdleWilde Printing, and Hartford Denim. Do you see it building?

STEPHEN: Absolutely. I’ve always seen it as a stomping ground for artists. We’re in a niche market—Hartford is not like New Haven or New York City. Anything you can put your mind to is really possible. It wouldn’t be possible for me to do this in New York City.

Hartford has so many talented artists throughout this entire city. They’ve been living here, working here, and touring the world using Hartford as their home base. I see the love they have for the community and what everyone is building around the neighborhood. It’s inspiring to see all these musicians and artists work here and live here and try and hustle their businesses.

NAN: What’s next for Parkville Sounds?

STEPHEN: We recently had a meeting with CPTV. They’re interested in turning some of our Parkville Sessions into a four-part series of 30-minute episodes throughout the neighborhood. Parkville Sounds takes musicians on a guided tour of Parkville, sharing unique stories of how this area is being revitalized by emerging creative businesses. We will showcase live music, unique stories of the historic neighborhood, and the artists who use the empty factories to ignite creativity.

It’s been crazy and so much fun. I knew there was a need for this kind of space and I know we can grow here. This is not the end-all-be-all space for Parkville Sounds. We’re going to continue to grow and we’re going to continue to push.

This is already a home for a lot of musicians, but I’m always looking for the right space—a real place where I can do some more serious recording and really make it like a residential home for recording.

Each avenue of the business has been growing and developing rapidly. It’s been great to change and roll with it.

Learn more about Parkville Sounds

VISIT: www.parkvillesounds.com
FOLLOW: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

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CT Entrepreneurs Celebrate Their Independence—And Connect with Others

July 04 2018 Innovation Destination: Hartford CT Lifestyle 0 comments

Entrepreneurs are characterized by independence. As Felicia Jordan, founder of startup Live Like a Lotus said, “As entrepreneurs, it’s up to us to follow what we feel in our hearts and what we are meant to do.”

That independence enables entrepreneurs to see things in new, innovative ways—and take action. “A true entrepreneur really looks at things with a different lens,” Susan Schaefer, Founder and Owner of Launch Career Coaching explained. “When other people are enjoying an experience, you’re always seeing opportunities.”

And, according to Be Real Culture Founder Bernadette Bolton, “Entrepreneurs are people with big, creative thoughts who want to make a difference. They have a little more vision, initiative, and verve.”

CONNECTICUT ENTREPRENEURS CONNECT

Kevin Bouley, President and CEO of Nerac, Inc. (right) with Macroscopic Solutions Principal Mark R. Smith.

One challenge for entrepreneurs—particularly solopreneurs—can be isolation.

Connecticut entrepreneur and Goodwin College Founding President Mark Scheinberg, described the emotion: “When you’re doing something like this, when you’re doing something entrepreneurially, it is very isolating. You’re constantly questioning and re-questioning what you’re doing, because by its very definition it’s something that hasn’t been done before.”

Nerac, Inc. President and CEO Kevin Bouley echoes that sentiment. He said, “As an entrepreneur it’s hard enough but being on your own makes it extraordinarily difficult. Being around other entrepreneurs, others who are facing the same types of challenges that you are, provides you with an opportunity to bounce ideas off other people who are in a space and place and might be able to offer some guidance and assistance.”

Coworking can play an important role in helping entrepreneurs feel less isolated. As David McKee, Co-Founder of Harford-based Central Row Co-Working Space noted, “Working in a dynamic community with a range of people and businesses enhances an individual’s output. The experience is infinitely more rewarding than working in an isolated environment.”

As a longtime entrepreneur, We Care Computers Owner Avi Smith-Rapaport emphasized the importance of connecting with others. “Being an entrepreneur can be hard, you have to be able to accept the challenges and work through them. Having a support structure is enormous.”

David McKee, Co-Founder of Central Row Co-Working Space in Hartford, CT.

Solstice Strategy Partners Co-Founder Delanea Davis, reiterated that statement. She said, “Having a community of other business owners to lean on is key because no one can support an entrepreneur like other entrepreneurs who have been through the highs and lows.”

The key is finding and connecting with other entrepreneurs. And that happens here in the Hartford area. Not only do entrepreneurs find support, they also inspire others.

As Kim Bishop, Executive Director of Hartford Young Professional and Entrepreneurs (HYPE) noted, “What I enjoy most is being passionate about Hartford, sharing that passion, inspiring that passion in others, and then seeing them go out and inspire other people to be passionate about it too.”

VDOMKR Co-Founder Matt McCawley can attest to that. “The culture and sense of community among startups is contagious and inspiring,” he said.

Inspiration plays a meaningful role in the entrepreneurial journey of Moreau Designs Founder Jennifer Moreau, who said, “I enjoy making connections and meeting other women who are going through, further along in, or just starting out in their journey. We can learn a lot and inspire each other.”

HARTFORD ENCOURAGES ENTREPRENEURISM

The entrepreneurial ecosystem in Greater Hartford is thriving, and many entrepreneurs and organizations support it.

“The people who work, play and start businesses in the Hartford region are passionate, innovative, and entrepreneurial,” said Brian Boyer, Vice President of Communications, Marketing, and Media and Public Relations at the MetroHartford Alliance.

“There is a group of dedicated people who believe in making the Hartford region a place that encourages entrepreneurism,” emphasized Ira Yellen, Founder and President of iNeedHomecareNow^TM.

As a newer startup that took participated in the 2018 reSET Impact Accelerator, FieldOwler Co-Founder Mark Barry noted, “Being a part of the Connecticut entrepreneurial ecosystem is very important to me.”

Samuel King, Guru of Marketing and Business Development at Blue Earth Compost, is glad his startup is a part of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Greater Hartford. “We see ourselves as part of an emerging entrepreneur community in Hartford that is working really hard toward an economic renaissance in the city,” he said.

CareerPath Mobile Managing Partner Ben Grinnell has a startup that participated in the 2017 reSET Impact Accelerator. One of his takeaways from the experience led him to comment, “I’m glad Connecticut has recognized the entrepreneurial ecosystem can provide growth, jobs, and a positive business climate for the state. Will it help? Absolutely.”

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West Hartford, CT-Based Startup Bellis Bourbon

June 19 2018 Innovation Destination: Hartford CT Lifestyle 0 comments Tags: Bellis Bourbon, Connecticut, CT, entrepreneurs, Greater Hartford, small business, startup, West Hartford

This story by Web Editor Joe Cooper originally posted on HartfordBusiness.com June 12, 2018.

Longtime friends Mike Bellis and Colin Santacroce are out to prove that family and business do mix.

The friends of 14 years on Monday began selling their American whiskey as owners of West Hartford’s Bellis Bourbon. They are shipping their booze to 60-plus stores and restaurants between Stamford and Manchester, including five establishments in West Hartford.

Bellis, 28, and Santacroce, 29, say more bottles will soon hit shelves as the owners continue inking deals with more liquor distributors across Connecticut.

West Hartford, CT-Based Startup Bellis Bourbon began shipping to more than 60 stores and in Connecticut.

Bellis Bourbon’s ascent is a family effort, the owners said. The partners are getting legal and web development advice from Mike’s father and brother (Steve and Matt) and social media and marketing support from his soon-to-be brother-in-law, Matt Paolini.

Santacroce, a U.S. Army veteran who served two tours in Afghanistan, said Monday’s launch was the culmination of a year’s worth of hustling through a seven-day work week.

“We are selling Bourbon that is aged off of a friendship that involves close family,” the Westport resident said. “We share a mutual love for bourbon and knew we had a chance to do something to introduce it to as many people as possible.”

The fledgling company currently handles business operations at Bellis’s home in West Hartford, with its product distributed from a major warehouse in Southbury. Its bourbon, meantime, is produced and initially distilled in Indiana.

Bellis Bourbon, the owners say, offers a smoother finish compared to other barrel-aged whiskeys because it is distilled for a second time in California before it is bottled in Missouri and shipped to Connecticut.

The cross-country exchange, known as product sourcing, is a common technique for entrepreneurs to break into the liquor industry, the owners said, reflecting on their commitments to long-term whiskey sales.

SHARED PASSIONS

The friends forged a close bond through sports during their freshman year at Hopkins School in New Haven before Bellis became an actuary for a Fortune 500 company in downtown Hartford and Santacroce served two combat tours in Afghanistan.

Santacroce, a bartender nearing a December graduation from Syracuse University’s ROTC program, noticed that bourbon lovers reach for brands with appealing bottles, logos and overall packaging, especially when buying gifts.

Santacroce pitched the idea of starting a bourbon company to Bellis in July 2017, when the friends devised a plan to begin selling their own bourbon, the nation’s fastest-growing brown liquor market, within the next year.

The friends are now awaiting patent approval on their barrelled bottle combination, which features a rustic barn and abutting silo canvassed with an American flag, an ode to U.S. military veterans.

Looking for business in March, the owners identified 550 liquor stores across the state before beginning advanced sales on May 21. This week, Bellis Bourbon began selling to more than 60 stores and restaurants, including pending sales at eateries in downtown Hartford.

Santacroce, the company’s head of sales and marketing, said the process has left him feeling nostalgic about his home state.

“It has been one of the best times of my life going through Connecticut, our home state, and meeting really great people who want to talk about the product,” he said.

And with more sales, others will prosper.

Bellis Bourbon will help plant a tree with Vermont-based nonprofit One Tree Planted for every case of whiskey sold. Land conservation is crucial to the owners, who kept lettering off their packaging to encourage repurposing.

Learn more about Bellis Bourbon

VISIT: www.bellisbourbon.com
FOLLOW: Facebook | Instagram

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Art2Unite Encourages Hartford Arts Community, Supports Local Charities

June 08 2018 Innovation Destination: Hartford CT Lifestyle 0 comments Tags: Art2Unite, arts, community, Connecticut, CT, Hartford, innovation

ARt2Unite event coordinator Christine Chaise Greenwood with participating artist Maurice Robertson (Photo courtesy Maurice Robertson)

Art2Unite, the first International Art & Music Fundraiser Show in Hartford, took place Saturday, June 2, at Hartford ArtSpace.

The event was spearheaded by local artist and event coordinator Christine Chaise Greenwood, who had two missions. “I wanted to bring the community together and raise money for Hartford-area charities,” she explains, emphasizing the importance of making the event open for all to participate.

making connections, building a community

“I think it worked, because we connected,” she says. “I think art has the power to do that.”

The idea to make the event “international” is a personal one for Christine, who was born and raised in France and move to the United States in 1988. Like Christine, many of the participating artists descend from other countries, including Chile, England, Haiti, Poland, Russia, and Sweden.

“We all come from somewhere in the world,” emphasizes Christine, “And we are all a part of the community here in Greater Hartford.”

When it came to finding local charities to support, Christine decided to spread the wealth among three. “I researched and reached out to each organization—they were thrilled,” she says.

Bloomfield, CT-based Foodshare; the Greater Hartford Harm Reduction Coalition, which is working to fight opioid abuse; and the Hartford homeless shelter South Park Inn will receive 10% of the proceeds from art sales and all of the proceeds from an art raffle.

Raffle contributors included Non-Scents Flowers, Hartford Flavor Company. Sponsors included Hog River Brewing, Division West, Hall’s Market, and Mystic Cheese Co.

Art2Unite attendees admire a piece of art by event coordinator Christine Chaise (Photo courtesy Ron Crowcroft)

Art2Unite was well attended, with a turnout of about 250 people who spent an evening in Hartford viewing and interacting with art, music, and dance from more than 25 national and international artists.

artists as innovators

Attendees were also able to watch a live 3D printing demonstration from MakerspaceCT co-founders Devra Sisitsky and Brian Patton, which provided an opportunity for artists to see how they can create three-dimensional sculptures.

“Artists are truly innovators,” notes Christine. “I reached out to Devra because I thought she would be great to introduce to the artist community.”

She adds, “We want Hartford to be dynamic and vibrant. A lot of that can be done thought the arts. Hartford has the talent—you can find that bridge between technology and art. MakerspaceCT provides a big potential for doing things together.”

Hartford-area artist Benjamin Grippo agrees. “I was really glad to see that a place like MakerspaceCT exists,” he says. “I have a lot of hobbies that I feel could burn out or become a ‘one and done’ project. I think MakerspaceCT would be cool to check out because others like me can always follow up with their projects and not have them left behind at home.”

Ben played an integral role in Art2Unite, not only displaying his artwork, but also brainstorming with Christine early on and helping find food and drink contributors for the event.

Christine is the first to admit her gratitude for all those involved, from all the artists to the musicians and DJ, to the food and drink suppliers, and volunteers.

Art2Unite took place June 2 at Hartford ArtSpace. (Photo courtesy Maurice Robertson)

“It sounds clichéd, but it really does take a village,” she admits. “I feel I really created a ‘family’ of people working together to create and to give back to the community. Everyone who participated was so generous. When it comes to helping coordinate an event, the community is always there.”

Christine says the community involvement and participation exceeded her expectations—and it started when she was building the buzz about the event. “I was encouraged from the start,” she says.

artists as entrepreneurs

Art2Unite is likely to be an annual event. Christine admits she learned a great deal organizing the community event. “As an artist, you have to know how to market, and sometimes do event planning. This is the second time. But really my first time planning something on my own.”

She continues, “Being an artist and planning these types of events is entrepreneurial in some ways—you have an idea and you go for it. Having an idea is not enough.”

Learn more about ArtSpace Hartford

VISIT: www.artspacehartford.com
FOLLOW: Facebook
READ: Interview with Amy LaBossiere, Co-Director of Hartford ArtSpace Gallery

Learn more about MakerspaceCT

VISIT: makerspacect.com
FOLLOW: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
READ: MakerspaceCT Fosters Innovation in Connecticut

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Hartford Startup Restaurant Is The Place 2 Be

June 01 2018 Innovation Destination: Hartford CT Lifestyle 0 comments Tags: Connecticut, CT, entrepreneurship, foodpreneurs, Hartford, how to open a restaurant in CT, The Place 2 Be

Hartford-based startup restaurant The Place 2 Be is known for its over-the-top milkshakes.

The Place 2 Be Co-Owner Gina Luari told Innovation Destination Hartford Website Curator Nan Price about her experience as a woman entrepreneur and her efforts to make her startup restaurant the place to be in Hartford.

NAN PRICE: Have you always had an entrepreneurial drive?

GINA LUARI: My parents are both entrepreneurs. They own a diner, so I grew up in the restaurant industry. I love people. I can’t imagine myself working in a space where I couldn’t interact with them. That’s what really pushed me into entrepreneurship.

I couldn’t really fathom being at a desk and not creating in the sense of seeing people’s reactions. When I create a dish or change something on our menu, I can immediately see customers’ reactions—whether they like it, or they sent it back to the kitchen because they want to change something about it. I love that process and I think working in corporate America kind of takes away from that, because your consumer is not right in front of you.

NAN: Tell us about the evolution of The Place 2 Be.

GINA: The Place To Be Restaurant had been closed. I remember driving by when I lived in Hartford and thinking: This would be a great place. I felt like there was nowhere to go for breakfast or brunch in Hartford. Everything downtown was closed on the weekends.

And nothing was really suiting the demographic coming downtown. a lot of young professionals are moving into apartments in Hartford and there’s nothing catered to them specifically. Also, I thought about this community. So many people live in a square block and there wasn’t any place to go for breakfast.

My parents and I bought the restaurant and completely redid it. Our grand opening was April 15, 2016.

We came up with a different concept and thought about renaming the restaurant. But, during the construction process, I kept referring to it as “the place to be,” because that was the location. And then, as we got closer to opening, it kind of clicked: What I’m trying to do for the space and Hartford in general is to create a place to be and convince people that Hartford is a destination and a place for them to come eat. The name kind of fit, we just updated it to make more of a statement.

NAN: What do you think differentiates the restaurant and makes it innovative?

GINA: I always felt diner food was for everyone. It’s the most diverse kind of cuisine. I took inspiration from diner-type menus and reinvented the recipes to made them more modern.

I think we’ve really reinvented the diner scene. We’re a place for everyone. Our clientele is so diverse. That’s what you find in diners and what makes them so popular. So, I think that was the innovative aspect of it. We wanted to create a place where you feel comfortable whether you’re a teenager, you’re retired, you’re enjoying a birthday brunch, or you’re celebrating a milestone event. Everyone is here.

The diversity of the crowd is amazing. And for it to be in Hartford is even more amazing.

NAN: Why Hartford?

GINA: I’m an idealist! I think Hartford has so much potential—and so many people are striving for it. You don’t find that kind of energy everywhere. There’s so much passion in Hartford and there’s so much diversity. In one mile you can find 10 different cuisines, 10 different churches, 10 different community centers.

I want to shine a light on Hartford. That’s really why I chose this location on Franklin Avenue. I kind of want to bring back its glory and celebrate what it is.

NAN: How has your background shaped your entrepreneurial journey?

GINA: I majored in business at Central Connecticut State University. I had an encouraging professor, Drew Harris, who is passionate about entrepreneurship and did a lot with the entrepreneurship program.

We collaborated with different colleges and worked with teams to develop business ideas. We learned about funding, developed business plans, pitched our businesses, and used the techniques we had learned to see if our business concept was feasible. That really put a fire under me for entrepreneurship.

NAN: Do you feel like your business major has helped you?

GINA: I do. Especially my Organizational Theory class. Had I not taken that class and read Who Says Elephants Can’t Dance by Louis Gerstner, I don’t think I would be a successful entrepreneur.

That class really changed my perspective from your business being about your product to it being about your system. You can have the right menu, but without the right system your restaurant won’t work. You might be successful for a year or two, but you’ll be a trend. You won’t be something that’s going to sustain itself for decades through changing environments and trends.

If you don’t have a system in place, if you don’t create a culture and make sure people are following that culture, your business will be useless no matter how great your product is. Because you cannot predict the outcome. You cannot predict how you come across. You cannot keep up. You need people who are buying into your vision, otherwise you’re not going to get anywhere. It’s like rowing a boat in circles.

Prior to opening this restaurant, I worked for the Rocky Hill Chamber of Commerce. I learned about the different tools you can use to be more than a business. I don’t think a lot of businesses take advantage of them. I certainly did when we opened. For example, you can have a ribbon-cutting, which cost nothing. It helps people recognize your presence and that you care about being a business in the community.

Also, I met so many great people when I was working at the Rocky Hill Chamber, including Rich Brown, Vice President of Investor Relations at the MetroHartford Alliance. I went different seminars and connected with the Department of Economic Development Economic Development (DECD), which has many different programs and incentives.

With small business you can feel helpless, like you’re going it alone. It was helpful to see the DECD devoting time to helping small businesses be successful and making sure businesses stay in Connecticut. It gives you hope as a small business owner—for me it gave me a feeling of: Okay, I can do this.

NAN: What does being an entrepreneur mean to you?

GINA: People don’t understand the logistics that go into business ownership. It’s things you don’t even think about, things entrepreneurs endure while people are constantly telling them their idea is not going to work. Pulling through that and becoming successful is the most incredible feeling. Being able to push through every “no,” and push through the doubts and failures and still be there.

NAN: Aside from funding, what kinds of challenges have you faced as a startup?

GINA: One of the most difficult things is staffing—finding people to work for your business who have the same vision and work well with a team. It’s a cultural thing. Your employees are the face of your business. One person can really throw it all off. You can’t control peoples’ interactions with customers. That’s something I’ve to learn as an entrepreneur, how to find the right people and grow with them.

Many businesses struggle with time management. I found it with myself too. Even knowing those resources are out there, getting to them can be difficult because you’re on a time crunch. It’s hard to figure out what to do first.

NAN: How do you deal with that challenge?

GINA: I try to break it down and figure out what’s going to be the most detrimental if I don’t do it. In business, everything matters. If you don’t do inventory you lose there. If you don’t get funding you lose there.

Competition is another challenge. The restaurant industry is always changing. You can’t patent a dish. You have to be innovative. You have to differentiate yourself. You have to make people want to come to your restaurant as opposed to someone else’s.

That’s really difficult because you have to constantly keep on top of your social media. That wasn’t even a thing in the restaurant industry until recently. Now you have to great at marketing. And on top of that, you have the best food and the best service. You have to be great at human resources. You have to be great at product development.

NAN: Entrepreneurs wear a lot of hats. That ties into the challenge of time management.

GINA: Right. For me, I focus on everything other than the cooking—developing the menu, marketing, human resources, payroll. My mom is actively here. That’s how we’ve been able to partner. She’s been here managing, and I have chefs, but I do everything outside of that. To be one person doing all those things is difficult because you cannot be everywhere at the same time.

It goes back to the challenge of hiring the right people. Trying to put together a team that will help you maintain all those aspects of having a successful and good place. That’s the most important thing, I want this restaurant to be really good. But without the right team, that’s borderline impossible.

NAN: How do you remain innovative so you can remain “The Place To Be?”

GINA: I think it’s really listening to our customers. I take everything to heart. Attention to detail is key in success. So, I’m religious when it comes to our Instagram posts. I read all the comments and take them into consideration. I say: How can I do this better? How I make sure I never have that comment again? Really, it’s: How do I get people to say what I want them to say, post what I want them to post, and get across what I want them to get across to whoever is seeing their posts?

I’m a big believer of checking out what’s around you—seeing what everyone else is doing better, what’s working for them, why it’s worked for them, and how it can be applied to us. Again, I think just caring about your customer really helps you stay in the game. It won’t guarantee success, but it will help.

What we learned in marketing day one: Know your demographic. Your customer is everything. Then have focus groups. For us, Instagram is our focus group Our customers’ reviews are our focus group.

NAN: What’s next?

GINA: I am opening a rustic pizza bar called The Pie Factory. My goal is to have 100 varieties of toppings. The plan is to open in June.

Learn more about The Place 2 Be

VISIT: www.place2bect.com
FOLLOW: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

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Hartford-Based Hog River Brewing Shares Updates About the Startup

May 23 2018 Innovation Destination: Hartford CT Lifestyle 0 comments Tags: beer, brewery, Connecticut, craft brewery, CT, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, Hartford, Hartford CT, Hog River Brewing, Parkville, startup, startup brewery, startup success

Hog River Brewing Company Founder and Owner Ben Braddock and his wife Joy look forward to opening their brewery in Hartford’s Parkville neighborhood in spring 2016.

Innovation Destination Hartford spoke with Ben Braddock, Founder and Owner of Hog River Brewing Company in December 2015, before the brewery opened. Since then, Hog River has become a local destination for craft beer and entertainment.

IDH recently checked in with Ben to find out what’s new.

BEN BRADDOCK: Since opening August 20, 2016 we have been moving forward with a full head of steam. From a production standpoint, we’ve more than doubled our brewing capacity while keeping more than 90% of our sales in house. We’ve been inching closer to distribution, which should become more of a reality as we increase our capacity.

As a business, my wife, Joy left Cigna to join our team on a full-time basis. We also hired a taproom manager and recently added another brewer to our staff to expand our product portfolio.

IDH: Have you experienced any major pivots since we featured your story?

BEN: I can't say we’ve had any major pivots. We’ve stayed on track and even exceeded our own expectations. For the first two years, we’ve been busy trying to keep up with demand, which we see as a huge success.

We started Hog River brewing very traditional beers and, while tradition is important to us, we have found that we need to continue to evolve to stay relevant in an extremely competitive industry.

Going forward, we’ll continue to brew traditional beer styles while incorporating some really neat and innovative projects. We have a lot on the horizon and we look forward to sharing new products with our customers.

IDH: Have you been involved with any startup resources in the region?

BEN: We worked with SCORE in the beginning. We had a wonderful group of people who helped us secure financing. They were a tremendous resource to have on our side.

IDH: It seems obvious, but how are you building a customer base?

BEN: We’ve been fortunate to build our business on word of mouth and strategic partnerships. We are a boutique brewery that relies on people spreading the word.

Sometimes it amazes me that we are where we are given the challenges we face as an urban brewery. We have a lot working against us, but we get people here to Parkville to drink great beer while enjoying food trucks or participating in the great events that take place in our neighborhood including our Twang Thursday music series or the KNOW GOOD Market.

Parkville has a ton of talent and we are happy to partner with many of the small businesses in the neighborhood including IdleWilde Printing, Parkville Sounds, and Breakfast Lunch & Dinner.

IDH: Where do you see the entrepreneurial landscape heading?

BEN: To be successful, entrepreneurs need to take the bull by the horns and blaze their own path. This is what we see every day in Parkville. Creative minds are challenging the old ways of doing things and creating new opportunities. I firmly believe that entrepreneurship and small businesses make a difference. Entrepreneurs have drive and passion with so much riding on the line. These are the people who can make change.

IDH: Tell us about the importance of encouraging entrepreneurship in Connecticut.

BEN: Creating change and challenging what’s “normal” is extremely important to the evolution of society. Entrepreneurs with an endless need to succeed can make a difference in so many ways.

IDH: Aside from funding, what do you need most to move your company forward?

The October Hartford Entrepreneur Hangout event at Hog River Brewing Company was well attended.

BEN: We need more people to support small business in Hartford. There’s a huge network of motivated people trying to make a difference in Hartford. We need more people to give the city a chance by pushing their comfort zone while trying something new.

Small businesses are the heartbeat of this city and people will never hear of them unless they make an effort. We ask that people come experience what is going on for themselves and make up their own mind about what Hartford really is. I think people will be surprised in what they find. This is alone will help create a vibrant city culture and successful small businesses.

IDH: What’s next?

BEN: We’ve outgrown our production space and we’re looking to take over more space in 1429 Park Street to expand our product portfolio. In the upcoming months, we’ll be adding a sour program as well as a barrel aging program.

Beyond that, we have ton of innovative ideas that will challenge people’s perception about craft beer. We are also investing in our Twang Thursday music series presented by Wise Old Moon frontman Connor Millican. This unique music series attracts artists from all over New England and we hope to establish Hog River as a premiere music venue in Hartford for original artists.

Find out more about Hog River Brewing Company

READ: Entrepreneur Brewer: Hog River Brewing Company
VISIT: hogriverbrewing.com
FOLLOW: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

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Entrepreneur Helps Launch Fine Dining Bistro in Manchester, CT

May 11 2018 Innovation Destination: Hartford CT Lifestyle 0 comments Tags: Bistro on Main, business growth, Connecticut, CT, dining, entrepreneurs, foodpreneurs, how to open a restaurant in CT, Manchester, social enterprise, social enterprise restaurant

Bistro on Main General Manager Ben Dubow.

Bistro on Main General Manager Ben Dubow spoke with Innovation Destination Hartford Website Curator Nan Price about his experience opening a fine dining bistro and the importance having a social enterprise component in your business.

NAN PRICE: You’ve held many roles in your career—chef, pastor, business partner, entrepreneur. How have your experiences helped shaped you? What have you learned along your journey?

BEN DUBOW: This is my second experience opening a restaurant. I was the executive chef and part of the opening team at Blue Plate Kitchen in West Hartford, and I’m still a partner there.

In addition to restaurants, I’ve started churches and other for-profit businesses. So, I’m an entrepreneur at heart.

I feel like startups, even from industry to industry, have a lot in common. Startups are always crazy. So, I knew we needed to be super organized. We created a three-month, 40-page playbook that detailed where we were going to be and when down to their electricity set up, vendors, computer installation, bathroom fixtures, and so on.

The other piece is knowing you always need more capital than you think you do. I feel like most entrepreneurs get themselves in trouble because they’re undercapitalized. We were realistic and conservative with our business plan and our performa. I didn’t want to oversell what I thought we could do. We tended to overestimate what we thought things were going to cost.

To me, the surprises so far have been all positive. We’re further along than I would’ve anticipated. Our staff team is in a better place than I would’ve thought. We’re beating our performa pretty much every week. I was expecting it to be a lot harder.

NAN: How did you become involved with the opening of Bistro on Main?

BEN: Bistro on Main is wholly owned by the Manchester Area Conference of Churches (MACC) Charities, a nonprofit which has been in the community for more than 45 years meeting people’s’ basic needs—food, shelter, clothing, advocacy. Over the last couple of years, MACC shifted that mission more toward breaking cycles of poverty.

When I left a Blue Plate Kitchen three years ago, I went to MACC full-time, running the food areas—the soup kitchen, overseeing the pantry. We did a lot of transformation. We have a farm-to-table soup kitchen now that serves everything from scratch, family style. It’s good, wholesome food.

We also started an 18-week culinary jobs training program. Because we realized to break cycles of poverty, it would help to train people, not just provide them with food. But, we should’ve realized from the get-go that, without real-life experience, the transition from a lab-based kind of program to a job wouldn’t be easy. So, we started a full-service catering company to give people an internship type of experience.

NAN: Is that when you came up with the idea of opening a restaurant?

BEN: Yes. We started catering, which was easy because we already had a kitchen. And then you’re working offsite in other peoples’ facilities. It was a relatively low startup cost and it was really successful.

Bistro on Main is located at 867 Main Street Manchester, CT.

When we started sending people out into the workforce to work in restaurants, we realized you just can’t replicate the experience of working a busy Saturday night on the line. It’s not the same as being in a classroom setting or even at a catered event. That was when we started talking about what a restaurant concept would look like.

So, the idea to open Bistro on Main wasn’t driven as much by my personal need to start something as a mission goal. It was one of those cases where we looked at our mission and it made sense for us to open a restaurant.

We looked into the ideas of food trucks and cafés. We were encouraged to look at some grants from the town and this space on Main Street in Manchester was available. The location made sense. It’s supporting not just the social development in Manchester, but economic development. We ended up not getting a grant. But, in that process, the board bought in and we decided this was the right time for us to take a risk and move forward.

That was May of last year and then we opened about six months later. It was a pretty quick turnaround.

NAN: Tell us about the social mission aspect of the restaurant. How is creating economic growth?

BEN: We are explicitly a social enterprise. I believe all businesses should have a social mission, even if they’re not explicitly social enterprises. I don’t think that has to be so unique to a business. As business owners, entrepreneurs, and restaurateurs, we have a social responsibility to our community. When the community does well, we do well and vice versa.

That said, I think every restaurant needs to have a social conscience, be involved in the community, and think about what it means to invest locally.

For us, this restaurant comes out of our mission of mobilizing our community to break cycles of poverty. This restaurant becomes a training site to help people become job-ready. So, it provides transitional employment for folks to be able to develop the skills to go out and work elsewhere.

NAN: Aside from the social enterprise mission, what makes this restaurant innovative?

BEN: Going into this, we knew to be successful we had to figure out a way to be a standalone, destination restaurant that also was doing good in the community. It couldn’t just be a charitable thing, or people would come twice to support the community and they wouldn’t keep coming.

Ultimately, to succeed and to provide employees with a legitimate, resume-worthy skillset, we had to be a really good restaurant. A lot of times social enterprise restaurant models are social first, enterprise second. We knew we had to get that mix right to make it a sustainable business with really good food that was also training people.

We’ve also embraced a no-tipping concept. It makes sense for us and it’s also innovative. For a lot of the folks working with us, this is the first time they’ve ever had a “real” job, so we knew having them walk away with handfuls of cash at the end of the night wasn’t going to be helpful. They needed to learn how to do things like open a checking account, budget, and saving money for a deposit on an apartment.

With a non-tipping concept, our employees can earn predictable money and we can pay the back of the house the same as the front of the house. We pay just about everybody $15 an hour. It’s worked out well—and there have been some positives I didn’t even anticipate. It’s a much better work environment. There’s less tension over who gets which tables and sections. We’ve eliminated all of that.

Another thing that’s made us innovative is we try to leverage technology a lot. We’re short on management staff by design and money, but we’ve made up for that with technology, which works behind the scenes. Customers never see it, but from an entrepreneurial perspective, I think it’s interesting.

We’re using an excellent point of sale (POS) system, which cost a lot of money upfront, but saves us hours because of the data it provides. We use an online system for our inventory and our invoices, so they are automatically being processed and again, save hours. Our managers aren’t stuck in an office, instead we’re on the floor working with guests and our staff.

NAN: Speaking of staff, how many employees do you have?

BEN: There are three full-time managers, including me. And then our hourly staff runs from 25 to 30. They’re all part-time, which is by design. We didn’t want this to become a place people wanted to camp out, because it’s transitional employment. So, it’s explicitly part time. People who come through our program can only be here for a year. Again, the idea is this is for them to build experience, build their resume, and launch their career.

NAN: And how are you finding employees?

BEN: Some of them come through our program, which is so far focused on back of the house training. We’re starting a front of the house training program, so we’ll get more out of there. And we advertise locally. Our commitment was to hire as locally as possible.

NAN: Any advice for other business owners?

BEN: Be well capitalized. Assume you need more money than you think. You have to build into your model the capacity to break even for the first six to 12 months, or you’re going to get yourself in trouble.

Everyone’s got to figure out their own business model. I feel like a lot of restaurants spend a ton of money on style, without giving themselves the basic infrastructure, and then they don’t have the cash to sustain. We went pretty minimal. We painted and hung some posters. We could have gutted and renovated, but that would have cost a lot. I think you have to be realistic, and it’s a process of getting where you want to be.

Also, the technology piece I mentioned earlier. It may be easier not to spend a lot of money on a good POS but being appropriately set up and giving yourself the infrastructure also sets you up for success. I don’t think technology is the place to cut and save money.

NAN: What does being an entrepreneur mean to you?

BEN: For me it’s the thrill of the start and building things. And I think innovation is always a part of that because of the drive to want to start and build things that are new and different.

As a pastor, my passion has always been starting new churches. It can be easier to work for another church or get a job working for a restaurant, but why when I can start something?

A lot of entrepreneurs frankly get bored after that. That’s the downside. Two years in, some are looking for the next project. Like Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ owners Jamie and Cheryl McDonald, they keep opening new restaurants and new concepts. That’s a beautiful thing. If you get stuck in a single-unit concept, then it’s a little harder.

NAN: Were you able to talk other restaurant owners about their startup experience?

BEN: The industry in general is so supportive. In Greater Hartford there’s a lot of collaboration among restauranteurs and chefs. We’ve received mentoring and help and advice. We spent a lot of time talking to folks at Billings Forge, who gave us a good business model: We go to Firebox because it’s a really good restaurant.

I also connected with Jamie and Cheryl McDonald to talk through our idea and pick their brains. I also got feedback from City Steam Brewery owners Jay DuMond and Lisa Cole. We reviewed menus and business plan concepts.

NAN: The Bistro on Main menu appears to be a fancy, upscale bistro. That was obviously intentional.

BEN: Yes. When we signed the closing, we didn’t have a concept. A few of things were important to us: We didn’t want to compete with other existing businesses on Main Street. We didn’t want to repeat a concept. And we also wanted something that would teach transferable skills.

There wasn’t really casual French east of the river. We thought: What better in terms of transferable skills than teaching French cooking? You learn how to do that, and you can work in any restaurant in any kitchen.

We could’ve done the same menu but with no French on it. Ultimately, we decided to embrace it. It’s really kind of defined and I think elevates who we are.

The other thing that was important to me is was for future employers to know our restaurant is a legitimate, real restaurant. So, we didn’t want to call it something like “Second Chance Café.”

NAN: Exactly. People can go to Bistro on Main because they’re doing good and eating well.

BEN: Right, which is by the way, our motto: Eat good, do good.

The other amazing thing is I wanted to mention—we received donations from Max Downtown and Burton’s Grill when they did renovations. It’s been great how people haven’t seen us as competitors and they get what we’re doing. Obviously, we’re all competing for dollars, but we’re all trying to make the pie bigger or trying to divide up a small pie differently.

If Main Street Manchester can become a food destination in a way West Hartford Center or Middletown can be, then everybody wins. That’s how it works. When a business succeeds, it benefits the community.

Learn more about Bistro on Main

VIST: www.bistro-on-main.com
FOLLOW: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

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Connecticut Valley Brewing Company

April 30 2018 Innovation Destination: Hartford CT Lifestyle 0 comments Tags: beer, breweries, Connecticut, Connecticut Valley Brewing Company, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, small business, startup brewery

The Connecticut Valley Brewing Team (left to right): Maxx McNall, Marketing Assistant; James Dodd; Cellerman, Andrew Blakeslee; Cellerman, Steve Palauskas, Owner; Ashley Blanchard, Director of Operations; and Jay Desroches, Head Brewer.

Steve Palauskas, Owner at Connecticut Valley Brewing Company told Innovation Destination Hartford Website Curator Nan Price about his entrepreneurial experience and how the brewery got started.

NAN: Do you have experience launching other startups?

STEVE PALAUSKAS: I started a service company in the early- to mid-90s. It was fun to start a business, take the risk, and see what you could do with it. I still have that business. It’s productive—45 people work for me there. I like to employ people. I like the challenges.

NAN: Why open a brewery?

STEVE: I’ve always enjoyed manufacturing. And I’ve always enjoyed beer and the process of making it. I started homebrewing years ago. My wife Lori encouraged me to start a brewery years ago. We just couldn’t open at the time because the other business really got going and was building at a fast pace. When that business was self-sustaining, she said: Why don’t you do it now? That was about four years ago.

At that time, the market for craft beer was really evolving. It was the perfect time to open a brewery in this area in South Windsor. It’s a prime business town. There’s a good demographic in the area. When we started looking for property the town presented this property to me. I thought it would be perfect for a brewery.

NAN: It’s a huge space.

STEVE: That was purposeful, so we could grow into it and easily add on, rather than having a brewery that was much smaller. If we grew we’d have to move and dismantle everything. This is much better. And like I said, I like challenges. The challenge here was to put up a building and make it work.

NAN: So, this was all built from scratch?

Connecticut Valley Brewing Company in South Windsor, CT.

STEVE: Yes. I built this. I started October 2016. We finished building it last July and then we opened the taproom in October. It took about a year and a half to get everything together. We collaborated with designers and architects and went from there. So, it’s brand new, purpose-built as a brewery. We have plenty of space to do events and plenty of space to brew.

NAN: How do you know when your beer is marketable?

STEVE: Of course, people will tell you your beer is good. But you don’t know if it’s really true or not. It’s great to have a friend say they love your beer, but they’re my friend, so they’re going to tell me what I want to hear.

At one point, everyone was filling my head with ideas and telling me the beer was good. But the idea wasn’t really validated until we started contract brewing at another brewery in the state. When we started doing that people did not know who were and they were commenting about how good the beer was. That was about two years before we started on this building.

So, I was contract brewing and things were going very well. We put our beer out there and we could see the demand was high and people liked the New England-style of beer. At that point, I was already in deep with United Bank, trying to figure out how to get the money together to build the building. When they saw the product was viable and the market was growing the bank got behind the project and really pushed it.

NAN: How has your prior startup experience helped with this venture as far as developing a business plan and hiring people?

STEVE: It’s not jumping into a pool not knowing what’s happening. It’s manufacturing, and it doesn’t matter what I’m manufacturing. If you provide a good product, people are going to come back time and again.

NAN: I’ve heard there’s a good sense of camaraderie amongst the Connecticut breweries.

STEVE: Local breweries definitely help each other out. If we have an issue, we’ll call Broad Brook Brewing Company or Willimantic Brewing Company and ask questions or ask for supplies. Everyone works together. It’s a good environment.

NAN: You’ve been a business owner for some time now Tell us something we don’t know about what it’s really like to be an entrepreneur.

STEVE: It’s super stressful. You go from having it to being broke. People think you’re loaded. But you get paid and then everything is gone again. It’s just the normal stress factor of managing money, time, and resources.

NAN: How do you find balance in that? Or how do you learn to go with it?

STEVE: You get calloused. There’s nothing you can do about it. You get paid when you get paid. It just takes a different person to own and operate a business. I can’t sit in a cubicle. I’d rather have the stress and the challenges of doing this. And it’s fun to employ people. You find people you want to work with.

NAN: That’s a good tip. Any other advice?

STEVE: You find people who think they know what they’re doing, and you mold them to what you want them to do. That’s the thing, they have to be wanting and able to do a job. I’ve hired thousands of people throughout the years, so I know by seeing a person that this person would be good for that position. Even though they don’t think they are, I can mold them into that direction. You give them the opportunity to screw up, correct them, and then you make them work where they need to be.

NAN: Many breweries have been popping up throughout Connecticut. What differentiates yours?

STEVE: All breweries start at a location and they support that community and that area. That’s kind of what we’re doing here. We’re supporting this community in South Windsor.

NAN: How are you marketing?

STEVE: Social media is huge for us, it’s great with the younger crowd, but we’re looking into news print too. We also rely on word of mouth. Untapped brings us a lot of customers, too.

NAN: Where do you distribute your beer?

STEVE: We distribute throughout all of Connecticut. And we’re expanding into Massachusetts and other areas. In the future we plan to just keep pushing out to the market—of course making sure the beers are good, so people enjoy them. We’re also changing with the trends and pushing out to different market areas that will accept it.

Find out more abut Connecticut Valley Brewing Company

VISIT: ctvalleybrewing.com
FOLLOW: Facebook | Instagram | Untapped | Twitter

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Hartford Flavor Company Founders Share Updates

April 06 2018 Innovation Destination: Hartford CT Lifestyle 0 comments Tags: Connecticut, CT, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, Hartford, Hartford CT, Hartford Flavor Company, startup, startup success

Where Are They Now? Follow Up with Hartford Flavor Company Co-Founders Lelaneia and Tom Dubay

Innovation Destination Hartford spoke with Hartford Flavor Company Creatrix & Infusionary Lelaneia Dubay in November 2015. Since then the startup has been on an upward trajectory with growth and success. One thing has remained certain: The company has remained committed to making a name in Hartford. IDH recently checked in with Hartford Flavor for an update.

Hartford Flavor Company co-founders Lelaneia and Tom Dubay.

INNOVATION DESTINATION HARTFORD: What’s new?

HARTFORD FLAVOR COMPANY: We have seen further growth in our Wild Moon Liqueurs product within restaurants and retail stores across Connecticut and the other states where we are distributed (also Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, Florida, and California) as well as in our tasting room here in Hartford.

Wild Moon has won awards at international spirits competitions and is receiving more and more industry recognition.

Hartford Flavor Company Chief Executive Officer Tom envisioned and is President of the Connecticut Spirits Trail (think wine trail). He’s working to get the word out across the state and across the spirits industry countrywide that Connecticut makes great spirits. The idea is that the Connecticut Spirits Trail will help raise all boats across the state’s distillers.

Within our own growth at Hartford Flavor, we have increased the size of our team in terms of production, tasting room operations, and marketing. We have a relatively small but mighty team that is very knowledgeable and passionate about our mission.

IDH: Have you experienced any major pivots since we featured your story?

We’ve opened larger markets both near and far—Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, Florida, and California. We’re getting ready to launch in Colorado in another month or so with the country’s second-largest distributor, which has operations in more than 20 states. We hope to grow across the nation with them over the next few years.

We’ve been able to focus on sales efforts in our new markets because we have an outstanding new production manager. This enables Lelaneia, as creator of the product, to get out into the trade in our new markets and tell our story.

IDH: Have you been involved with any entrepreneurial organizations of events in the region?

HARTFORD FLAVOR: Tom was on the initial steering committee for the Innovation Places group that submitted an application to the CTNext grant contest for Hartford/East Hartford. Hartford/East Hartford was one of the winning applications and is now in its early stages of implementation. The focal points in the application were InsurTech, medical innovation, and advanced manufacturing. Initial successes are happening—most notably within the InsurTech sector.

We also helped Upward Hartford at its grand opening party at the Stilts Building in May 2017, where we ran the cocktail program. That was quite an event and showed Hartford can certainly put on a great party!

In April 2016, Lelaneia and Tom appeared on the Pulse of the Region, a weekly broadcast by the MetroHartford Alliance. The topic, The Spirit of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, featured Innovation Destination Hartford Website Curator Nan Price and Back East Brewing Company co-founder Tony Karlowicz.

IDH: How are you building a customer base?

HARTFORD FLAVOR: We focus a lot on doing tasting tables at events across the state and in our other states of distribution. We continue to work within the Connecticut community at fundraisers and special events at venues across the entire state and by hosting events in our tasting room/production space.

We put a lot of focus on our tasting room/tours each weekend, where we have public hours on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, and by hosting public and private events in our space. Of course, social media and digital marketing are very important as well.

IDH: Where do you see the entrepreneurial landscape heading?

HARTFORD FLAVOR: We see increasing entrepreneurial activity—both in terms of new startups and startups moving into growth phase and, perhaps more importantly, we see an increase within the public at large acknowledging these trends.

A couple of years ago, there was less startup focus, but with new ventures creating more excitement we are meeting more and more people who are recognizing the trend. It’s heartening to see folks who live outside Hartford acknowledge what is going on now.

IDH: Tell us about the importance of encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation in Connecticut.

HARTFORD FLAVOR: It is extremely important. Connecticut has always been a place where innovation happened (we’ve always been at the top or near the top in patents per capita), whether it was in small companies or within Fortune 500/1000 settings.

Innovation has and continues to be more important than ever to create a healthy economy. The speed of change continues to get faster across most industries, so of course the ability to innovate becomes more important than ever before.

We’ve seen firsthand that innovation alone is great, but it really needs to be accompanied by the ability to effectively tell your company’s or product’s story. Effective storytelling not only helps to increase sales revenue, but it also helps to attract investment needed to grow.

As much as we need innovators, we think storytelling capabilities have to become stronger as well. It would be great if marketing/PR/advertising firms could get involved with entrepreneurs to help storytelling match our innovation capabilities. Innovation Destination Hartford been doing a great job with this!

IDH: Aside from funding, what do you need most to move your company forward?

HARTFORD FLAVOR: We need to get into new states and we have a plan to do so over the next few years. This will make Wild Moon a national brand with the possibility of exporting as well. We think the United Kingdom and Europe will be great markets for us one day. It really all comes down to sales and marketing, so lots of travel is in our future.

When we envisioned our initial business plan, we thought Wild Moon would let us see the majority of the United States and then perhaps other countries—and that now seems more definite than probable.

At some point, we’ll need to expand our production space. So, it seems like it will all come down to time, effort, and money.

IDH: What’s next?

HARTFORD FLAVOR: Our Colorado launch is really important, so we’ll focus a lot on that to show our distribution partner that Wild Moon will be successful across the United States. We’ll grow our sales team in the distant markets and need to run a more far-flung operation. But, at the same time, we will make sure we don’t take our eye of the ball in terms of our home state and our commitment to be an asset to the local community.

Find out more about Harford Flavor Company

READ: Hartford Flavor Company: Hartford’s Own Distillery
VISIT: hartfordflavor.com
FOLLOW: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter

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