“You could see it coming, but it came fast,” he said. Wood-n-Tap sales sunk roughly 10 percent in the two years following the housing-market crash, but it survived and grew, Hamlin said, because HRG already had money banked away. That recipe fueled the Wood-n-Tap franchise during the fallout of the 2008-2010 Great Recession that wiped out many restaurants across the state. Some of our restaurants don’t even have a freezer.” “I think we do a good job at not being just a casual-dining restaurant but a little more upscale, but still offer a value-driven price,” he said. Wood-n-Tap has also developed a major takeout and delivery business - one that drew over 14,300 Uber Eats orders at its Hartford location in 2019. HRG owns about half the real estate it occupies.īut all restaurants largely offer a similar experience with reasonably priced pub food, party rooms, outdoor patio seating and food, desserts and dressings all made on-site. Some restaurants are in free-standing buildings (Vernon), while others are in large shopping centers (Newington). Wood-n-Tap locations vary depending on where you’re dining. The partners in 2002 acquired several buildings that included The Keg, a popular Italian-American family restaurant located on Hartford’s Sisson and Capitol avenues.
HRG began to form around that time with founding partners Barnett and Quijano, who met at CCSU, and Hamlin and McAvoy. Hamlin and his now wife also lived there. Hamlin, 51, also served as a busboy, cook and kitchen manager for a variety of restaurant chains in Greater Hartford and broke into the mortgage business in the late 1990s.Īt that time, Barnett and his wife, then his fiance, actually lived in a multifamily house Hamlin built in New Britain around 2000. to tell bold, new stories that will delight their diverse, global audience.Barnett, 45, a Windham native, attended Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) for a short stint but ultimately opted for a steady paycheck in the restaurant business moving his way up from a dishwasher, server, bartender and eventually to a partner of The Half Door pub in Hartford in 1998. “I can’t wait to tap into the treasure trove of IP within the world of BuzzFeed, Inc. “I was immediately impressed by the drive and ambition of Rich and the entire BuzzFeed Studios team,” Ricci said.
The studio is also in development for a slate of unscripted series on TV and streaming for NBCUniversal. Past unscripted projects from BuzzFeed Studios include The Rise and Fall of LuLaRoe for Discovery+, Hot Ones: The Game Show for TruTv and Snoop & Martha’s Very Tasty Halloween for Peacock.
“We’re delighted to have him on the growing BuzzFeed Studios team.” Paul’s keen eye for innovative formats and a deep understanding of youth culture and trends make him an incredible creative partner who will drive our unscripted portfolio - from BuzzFeed to Complex - to new heights,” Reid, executive vp global content and head of BuzzFeed Studios, said in a statement.
“Paul brings a wealth of knowledge from his days in network television and hands-on experience producing hits. The company will continue to be led by co-founder Mark Efman. Most recently, the executive co-founded the development company BoomTown Content Co., which is also entering a development deal with BuzzFeed Studios for a slate of unscripted TV projects.
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