By Matthew Broderick
Like many restaurateurs in Connecticut and across the country, the past year has been a near endless struggle for Chip Kohn, owner of West Hartford’s Beachland Tavern, Beachland Smoke and Rockledge Grille.
As capacity limits dropped over the past year while expenses for government-required safety measures rose, the calculus of Kohn’s focus shifted from worrying about profits to simply minimizing his financial losses.
“Even with takeout orders increasing significantly, [business] was nowhere near where we were pre-pandemic,” he said. “It’s not a sustainable business model.”
Even as signs of optimism emerge in Connecticut with vaccination levels increasing and Gov. Ned Lamont scheduled to lift all capacity restrictions on May 19, the past 12 months have been devastating for the state’s restaurant industry.
Matthew Broderick
In 2009, the company’s offerings expanded beyond distribution to include contract manufacturing operations a move that has fueled the company’s growth over the past decade and prompted a recent rebranding of the company name to Pearse Bertram + Streamline Contract Manufacturing.
For too long Connecticut has been used to seeing poor economic news, but as we begin to reopen in earnest on May 19, I believe the state has a six- to 12-month window to solidify and leverage its recent population gains. That’s why it’s critical for Gov. Ned Lamont to maintain his opposition to any tax increases, including proposals by members of his own party to boost income taxes on high-end earners, among other revenue-raising efforts.