BDA BUZZ - Bristol

BDA BUZZ
A Newsletter of the Bristol Development Authority
SUMMER 2014
Serving Up a Food Revival in Bristol
owntown Bristol is buzzing, and those on the street
point to a handful of successful food and drink
establishments behind the momentum. Barley Vine
may have kick-started the movement, with Firefly Hollow
Brewing, 457 Mason Jar, Artist Tree Tea House, and the
new West End Café jumping aboard. And more eateries are
thriving elsewhere in the City, from 150 Central and San
Gennaro in Forestville; to The Parkside Café and Martino’s
Restaurant near downtown; to upscale dining at The Willows;
to busy ethnic-infused joints like Dos Amigos, Monterrey, and
El Sazón De Mama.
opened two years ago. Executive Chef Dave Pianka cooked
chicken and waffles on live TV; it was the first local eatery
to give serious thought to pairing beer with food; and the
restaurant has embraced social media to secure a legion of
devoted fans. Just stroll past 182 Main Street on a Friday
evening and you’ll find crowds of locals eating, drinking, and
being merry.
When asked for the secret to his success, particularly in a
community with a challenged dining history, Lugo stresses
the simple things. “Bristol diners appreciate a great meal and
a great experience. From a restaurant perspective, if you’re
These restaurants and others are contributing to what might able to provide both, the Bristol customer will be very loyal.”
be called Bristol’s dining resurgence. For far too long Bristol
folks have looked elsewhere for dining options. According to
Mike Clawson, chef and owner of 457 Mason Jar on North
Main Street, part of overcoming this hurdle is convincing
residents to give local food a
try. “Some locals don’t realize
that the community has the
restaurants that it has. There
are a good number of
‘foodies’ in our area, and we
[457 Mason Jar] have very
One longtime eatery that is experiencing new success by
loyal customers once we get
serving dinner on Friday and Saturday is Martino’s
them ‘hooked.’”
Restaurant on Terryville Avenue. The restaurant is known by
If Bristol’s dining renaissance locals for its artful preparation of some of the City’s most
has a face, it just might be the sophisticated Italian fare. Brenda Antuna, owner and head
Barley Vine
perpetually grinning mug of chef, offers a similar take to Lugo on the formula for securing
Victor Lugo, owner, along with his wife Terry, of Barley Vine. repeat customers. “We get to know our customers and really
The gastro pub has operated “outside the dining box” since it
Continued on page 4
In This Issue

Serving Up a Food Revival

Old Factories Incubate New
Businesses

BDA and “Chamber” Team
Up

Rebranding of ETTER
Engineering

CDBG Consolidated Plan
DIRECTOR’S NOTE
Locals Dining Locally
et me paint the picture: It’s Saturday evening after a long week, and all you
want to do is relax at a restaurant for a nice meal and a cold drink. But, like
many Bristolites, rather than venturing to a local eatery you break bread at
a restaurant in a neighboring community. And there’s certainly nothing wrong with
that…except that many in Bristol rarely even consider staying within the City to
dine out. And while there are flashy, award-winning restaurants elsewhere, Bristol
has its share of high-quality dining spots as well. Some are new on the scene, and
some have been serving spectacular food and drink for years. One thing is clear: in order for Bristol’s dining
scene to expand, particularly in and around downtown, it will require more Bristol residents to stay in the City
when it’s time to dine out. For this issue of BDA Buzz, we hear from restaurateurs leading the effort to convince
locals to dine locally, including those representing Barley Vine, 457 Mason Jar, 150 Central, Martino’s, and
others. Also, learn about Flavor’d, an exciting new food festival set for downtown Bristol in September.
Also featured in this issue, BDA staffer Dawn Leger examines 135 Center Street and 61 East Main Street, two
hulking factory buildings repurposed as unique, collaborative environments for startups of all sorts. Plus, Chris
Del Sole of ETTER Engineering provides an “in the trenches” look at the process of rebranding a manufacturing
enterprise. Also, Debbie Shapiro, BDA’s Community Development Coordinator, discusses the City’s Community
Development Block Grant process and highlights opportunities for community input.
Justin Malley
Director, Bristol Development Authority
Old Factories Incubate New Businesses
here are legendary businesses that got their start in
someone’s garage, basement, or kitchen table; some of
them began right here in Bristol and include ESPN and
Yarde Metals. Others, such as mixing up an organic formula
for hand cream in the kitchen or refinishing furniture in the
basement, grow from a home-based hobby into a profitmaking endeavor that needs a separate space to become a
“real business.” And some of those, doing business in small
studios in large factory buildings throughout the City, may
grow large enough to need their own buildings to
accommodate a growing workforce or inventory.
Forestville Industrial Center
Page 2
Housed in “downright cheap” rentals on East Main Street in
Forestville, many tenants of the small (11x15 foot) studios
located in a former factory space are artists and crafters
who have no need for larger work areas. Studios house
___________________________________________
“The building is part of Bristol history and family
history. Now I’m making my own history there.”
- Lindsay Vigue
___________________________________________
photographers, bands, a potter, a furniture refinisher, a
recording studio, and several artists, although the bulk of the
tenants remain small manufacturers doing welding, grinding,
and screw machine operations. Several former factory
tenants have moved to larger buildings, including the
original owner, Dabko Industries, whose owner Robert
Dabkowski is the great uncle of a photographer who now
works in a space where her own father once was employed.
Lindsay Vigue is a young self-employed photographer
(http://lindsayviguephotography.com/) who has operated a
small studio in Forestville since 2008. Her parents, John
and Jackie, actually met at Dabko when both were
employed there, and her father worked in the building for 22
Old Factories Incubate New Businesses
years before Dabko became RGD Technologies and moved
to Emmett Street. “The building is part of Bristol history and
family history. Now I’m making my own history there,”
Lindsay said. When she first moved into the building, it was
relatively empty with only a few bands renting studio space.
Now, all the studios are occupied. “It’s a great community
and we all support each other,” she said.
first on the kitchen table, then in the basement, and moving
through four increasingly larger studio spaces on Center
Street, Earth Turns is a family business that has grown to
employ several Bristol residents. “We were founded on the
principle of giving back, and we are very environmentally
conscious about everything we do.”
Downstairs and in the back of the Center Street industrial
building, which, like its counterpart in Forestville, still houses
a majority of factory-based firms in addition to these small
businesses, Firefly Hollow Brewing Company (http://
fireflyhollowbrewing.com/) is drawing customers from out of
state as well as devoted fans in Bristol. That company has
been growing steadily since opening last year, and the beer
Lindsay Vigue
produced at Firefly Hollow is now on tap at several local
bars. Customers at the brewery can also purchase food
Vigue is one of a new generation of young entrepreneurs from trucks parked outside each weekend, another form of
bringing their idealism to the workplace. Mary Brown, “incubator” business that is mutually beneficial to both
creator of Bristol Bliss (http://bristolbliss.com/), developed a businesses and their customers.
line of organic skin products as a result of her dissatisfaction
with items available in the marketplace. From her kitchen,
she began to sell and soon outgrew the capacity of her
home. Renting a small studio in a former New Departure
factory building on Center Street, Mary has relied upon
Internet sales to build her customer base, along with
participation in local fairs and farmer’s markets.
“The fair in Rockwell Park was amazing,” she said. “People
are so supportive and interested in organic, cruelty-free
products.” The best way for people to obtain her products,
which she makes and personally pours into glass jars and
bottles, is to visit her website. “We don’t have a storefront,
so for now, people can get in touch by visiting us online,”
she said.
__________________________________________
“The fair in Rockwell Park was amazing . . .
People are so supportive . . . ”
- Mary Brown
___________________________________________
Just down the hallway from Bristol Bliss, Jeremy Spitz is
busting out of his space with Earth Turns, a fulfillment
company that sells organic health and beauty products via
the Internet (http://www.earthturns.com). Begun at home,
Mary Brown
Bristol Bliss was featured on the TV show “Better
Connecticut” in early 2014, and Lindsay Vigue Photography
was 1st Runner-Up in the “Best of Hartford Magazine” for
2014. These small businesses are drawing attention to
Bristol, bringing new energy to dormant buildings, and
spurring economic activity through their support of other
businesses. Not every crafter or artist will desire to grow out
of a small studio, but the opportunity to start and grow a
business in an affordable and accessible environment has
caught on with a new generation of entrepreneurs who
choose to locate in Bristol. 
Contact BDA today to learn about
 Opening a business in Bristol
 Expanding your business

Incentives  And More
860-584-6187 or www.bristolct.gov/BDA
Page 3
Serving Up a Food Revival in Bristol
Continued from page 1
listen to what they have to say, and [we’re] willing to make one would expect from a sports-themed bar: from crispy
changes that reflect the desires of loyal patrons. Change is a chicken wings to a “build your own burger” menu.
good thing.”
Over in Forestville, frequently crowded 150 Central is thriving
Standing alongside Clawson, Lugo, and Antuna in the quest by serving all things fresh – from pot roast and other comfort
to bring quality eating and drinking downtown is Bill Collins food to linguini with clam sauce. Like Antuna and Lugo,
and the folks behind Firefly Hollow Brewing. Located in a owner Gary Santorso understands the importance of giving
no-nonsense space in a Center Street factory, the brewery’s diners what they want. “If you give the people a great dinner,
pour room is constantly packed. Scanning the room on any good service, and a fair price they will support you, which I
given happy hour, one might find a tableful of skilled can personally attest to.”
machinists, downtown office workers with slack neckties,
college students back in Bristol on study break, or a group of Taking it to the Next Level
retirees soaking in the atmosphere.
While Bristol’s dining scene is on the upswing, few might
claim Bristol as an “eating destination.” To elevate local
Success Breeds Success
dining, it seems that “keeping it simple” may be the way to
Part of what makes the success of Barley Vine, Firefly, and start. “I encourage any restaurant patron who has a great
others so great is the domino effect they have had for newer experience to simply spread the word,” says Antuna. Often,
eateries. Just steps from downtown in the historic “West End” she notes, diners only talk about a restaurant if they have had
neighborhood are two newer spots – Artist Tree Tea House a negative experience, staying tight-lipped about enjoyable
and the West End Café – playing off the victories of their meals. And positive word-of-mouth shouldn’t be limited to
downtown neighbors. 150 Central, based down the road in diners: local restaurateurs should talk up their fellow business
bustling Forestville Center, is another new eatery changing owners. “If our restaurant is full and I can’t accommodate
perceptions in Bristol.
more diners,” Antuna explains, “I send folks to another
restaurant where I know the food is good because I’m a
____________________________________________ patron.” She even suggests that local restaurateurs form an
association to support each other.
“I encourage any restaurant patron who has a great
experience to simply spread the word.”
Cross-promotion amongst local restaurants isn’t a concept
lost on the West End
- Brenda Antuna
____________________________________________ Café or The Parkside
Dorri Green, owner of Artist Tree Tea House, offers a menu
of inspired teas and other beverages along with pastries and
finger food. Green has found her niche in drawing sizeable
crowds by offering live music, innovative art exhibits, and
more. And there’s more to come as Green prepares to launch
a Kickstarter campaign to fund an outdoor deck that will
provide dining space along the Pequabuck River.
Café on Federal Hill.
The West End Café
recently added Fireflybrewed beers to its
taps and hopes to
draw in late-night
crowds from Firefly
and
Barley
Vine.
“Those places close for the evening earlier than we do, so
we’re hoping that folks at either location who are looking to
continue their evening give us a chance,” Burby says. Up at
Parkside, owner J.R. Rusgrove invites local businesses to
provide t-shirts for servers to wear during their shift and has
donated space on the eatery’s menu for business promotion.
Barley Vine’s Lugo, who happily admits to dining at Martino’s
and other local spots weekly, agrees that restaurant owners
must continue to collaborate for long-term success. He is
particularly keen on special programs and events such as the
West End Association’s Taste of Bristol and the upcoming
West End Café Interior
Flavor’d Food Festival (see page 5). “We also participate in
A stone’s throw from Artist Tree Tea House is the new West statewide events, such as the Connecticut Farm to Table
End Café, otherwise known as “Bristol’s own Boston-style event in the fall, to expose people from surrounding
pub,” according to owner Shane Burby. Burby is steadily communities to Bristol’s food culture,” Lugo says.
convincing locals that the West End Café is a safe, clean, Another method of increasing the number of local diners is
inviting place to gather for a few beers after work or to watch to simply increase local dining options. “One of the reasons
football on lazy weekend afternoons. With the help of that people flock to West Hartford is that you can park your
accomplished chef James Hardenburg, Burby recently car – and pay to park, I might add – and have your pick of 15
installed a small kitchen that churns out the type of tasty bites to 20 restaurants within one block,” Antuna says. One way of
Page 4
Serving Up a Food Revival in Bristol
developing Bristol into a similar dining scene is to encourage
more authentic ethnic dining options or specialty dining like
vegetarian and vegan. Bristol boasts a number of pizza
restaurants and burger spots, but more exotic choices are
lacking.
“When you provide people with choice and variety they can
expand their food palate and learn about other cultures,”
Lugo says. He advises that adding different dining options
can benefit the entire restaurant community, providing a
vibrancy found in more established food destinations.
Clawson of 457 Mason Jar stresses the importance of
attracting not only more restaurants, but also luring other
retail options that create traffic at local eateries. “The goal is
to create a community in which individuals live, shop, work,
play, and eat. Residents should not have to leave Bristol to
accomplish all of these things.” 
457 Mason Jar on North Main Street
“A great part of the event is about
celebrating Bristol food and culinary
gems, and highlighting them,” said Mark
Walerysiak Jr., Community Liaison for
Bristol Rising. “But similar to how the
Pop Up Piazza showed the possibility of
a future bustling downtown, we’d like to
similarly provide a one-day looking
glass into the anticipated future food
culture downtown by inviting ‘missing
markets’ and different establishments
from outside of town, too. We recommend people come hungry!”
Saturday, September 13
ristol Rising is partnering with local restaurateurs,
the Central Connecticut Chambers of Commerce,
and the Carousel Museum for a new and exciting
event called Flavor’d Food Fest, A Taste of Bristol and
Beyond! The event will take place on Saturday,
September 13 between 2:00 pm and 8:30 pm on the
Riverside Avenue Extension and Depot Square site.
Flavor’d Food Fest is structured as a “tasting” event in
which
attendees
purchase
food
tickets
to
obtain portions from a variety of vendors. The event will
feature culinary talents from local restaurants and
organizations as well as include eateries from across the
state. Complementing the delicious food will be live
cooking demonstrations, a beer tent sponsored by Firefly
Hollow Brewing, and live music. Surplus proceeds from
the event will benefit the Carousel Museum, Clock
Museum, Imagination Museum, and the Bristol Historical
Society.
Terry Lugo, an event committee
member and co-owner of Barley Vine
gastropub along with her husband Victor, shared one of
the primary reasons the event was born.
“There’s this perception among some that Bristol doesn’t
have many places to eat,” Lugo said. “We don’t believe
that, and Flavor’d Food Fest will help show that Bristol
has many quality restaurants and places that specialize
in some amazing items, and it’s our intention to allow
them the platform to be known to the world.”

The Flavor’d Food Fest team is actively seeking
event sponsors and food vendors. If interested,
please contact Mark Walerysiak at 860-582-0030
or [email protected].
Page 5
BDA and Chamber Team Up for Business
he BDA and Central Connecticut Chambers of Commerce are teaming up to
present the first-ever Economic Development Business Breakfast on November 5,
2014. The event will begin at 8:00 am and will take place at the DoubleTree by
Hilton Hotel at 42 Century Drive in Bristol.
The event, sponsored by Liberty Bank, will feature guest speaker John Skipper, ESPN
President and Co-Chairman of the Disney Media Networks. Since taking the helm in his
current position on January 1, 2012, Skipper has secured ESPN’s leadership position in
the crowded sports media landscape into the next decade with bold moves and a
commitment to live championship events delivered across every available platform,
including a rapidly growing focus on digital and mobile applications.
For more information and to register, please contact the Central Connecticut Chambers of
Commerce at 860-584-4718 or visit www.centralctchambers.org. 
John Skipper, ESPN President
Rebranding of ETTER Engineering
By Chris Del Sole, Marketing Director, ETTER Engineering
he decision to undertake a rebranding project for a
nearly 75-year-old manufacturing company is not for
the faint-of-heart. With seven decades of history at
hand, legacy and memory must be respected, as there is
power behind that longevity. For the team at ETTER
Engineering, however, it had become obvious that it was
time to spruce up the brand image in order to position the
company for the next 75 years. The project included
updating the corporate logo, branding the five divisions of
the company, and creating all new branding around the
company’s existing products.
ETTER’s old logo
ETTER Engineering is a Process Heating and Combustion
Engineering company that was founded in 1940.
Specializing in the control, application, and manufacturing of
commercial and industrial gas-fired equipment, the
company has always been willing to change with the times.
Whereas it was once strictly a distributor of combustion
equipment like gas regulators and industrial burners, as
times changed it branched into the manufacturing of
equipment such as control panels, heater boxes, gas
boosters, and industrial ovens and furnaces. As the 21 st
Century dawned, a Combustion Service group was added,
along with ETTER Energy, which specializes in energyefficiency studies, upgrades, and retrofits with an eye
towards using public utility monies to fund projects with no
up-front capital expenditure on the part of the customer.
Page 6
With such a wide-range of products and services, a
cohesive brand is crucial to properly representing the
company.
The rebranding process began with a look back through the
years. Old logos, color schemes, and marketing materials
were assembled and ruthlessly (or perhaps nostalgically)
looked over with an eye towards modernizing ETTER’s
image. The diamond logo, a staple since the 1970s, was
made over to more closely adhere to today’s design
aesthetics, while still retaining the history and feel of the
original logo. Divisional logos and color pallets were created
to represent the five divisions of ETTER:

ETTER Products: In-house developed, standard
products for commercial/industrial gas use

ETTER Solutions: Custom manufactured
combustion and process heating equipment

ETTER Service: Combustion service, from
preventative maintenance to NFPA-86 Safety Audits

ETTER Distribution: Combustion parts and
component sales

ETTER Energy: Energy efficiency upgrades and
conversions
Finally, product families, logos, and brand positioning were
developed to help solidify ETTER’s reputation as the
recognized experts in the industrial combustion world. Many
of these products have existed for quite some time, but
placing them under the umbrella of their own product family
Rebranding of ETTER Engineering
allows the company to better market and sell in the various
spaces they operate. Scalability was also built into the
process, allowing new products to be added as time goes
on. While many pundits and naysayers have long since
declared manufacturing dead in Connecticut, ETTER
Engineering begs to differ!
In the end, the decision to rebrand was the right one. While
the process may have been difficult at times, ETTER now
has a cohesive brand image that will serve it well into the
21st Century. The company has always been at the forefront
of the industrial and commercial combustion industries, and
it looks forward to strengthening that reputation as time
goes on. 
About ETTER Engineering
Founded in 1940, ETTER Engineering is a leader in the
Combustion and Process Heating Industries. We are
experts in solving complex combustion challenges, and
we work closely with our customers to ensure we deliver
outstanding products and excellent customer service.
ETTER Engineering is a third-generation, family-owned
company, and is proudly located in Bristol, Connecticut.
ETTER’s new logo
REAL ESTATE CORNER
For Sale
10 Main Street
Contact: Chris Ostop at 860-702-2835
Located in the Enterprise Zone, this 60,000 square foot former office building sits on a 3.35
acre corner lot with parking for 185 vehicles. Reaching five stories high, the property can
accommodate a single user or can be subdivided for multiple tenants. Potential uses include
data center, office space, or residential dwelling units.
For Sale
200 Main Street
Contact: Joel Witkiewicz at 860-585-5635
An Enterprise Zone property, this former bank building is converted to office use with
three existing tenants. The rear parking lot accommodates approximately 20 vehicles.
For Lease
32 Valley Street
Contact: Sean O' Neil at 860-702-2839
This 126,000 square foot, five-story office building is located in the Enterprise Zone and
features a 900-space parking lot, three passenger elevators, a freight elevator,
monitored alarm system, network wiring throughout the building, and more. The building
is ideal for a data center, office space, and more.
Manufacturing/Warehouse
54 Dolphin Road
Contact: John Famiglietti at 203-596-7777
This high-bay industrial building features 1,488-square feet of office space and 10,000
square feet of work area with 26-foot ceilings, a five-ton crane, 600 AMP of threephase power, and is located on 1.8 acres close to I-84. The building is available for
sale or for lease.
To see more, visit “Available Properties” at www.bristolct.gov/BDA
Page 7
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORNER
he Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program in Bristol is administered by the
Bristol Development Authority and its nine-member Board of Directors. The Consolidated Plan (Con Plan) is approved
by the BDA, the City Council, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and becomes the
basis for annual allocation decisions to fund Bristol CDBG projects.
How CDBG Funds Are Spent: The Con Plan is a document and a process for determining CDBG priorities for the City. This
chart shows how cumulative expenditures were made according to 2010-2015 priorities. Public Services spending is limited
to 15%; and spending for Planning, Administration, and Fair Housing is limited to 20% each year. Commercial Rehabilitation projects accounted for a higher percentage as a result of allocations made prior to 2010.
Why Should I Get Involved? Decreasing federal funds
make the Con Plan more important than ever before.
Citizens of Bristol who participate in the planning process
for the 2015-2020 Con Plan provide thoughts and
suggestions on setting these priority areas. The 20152020 Con Plan must be ready for submission to HUD in
May 2015.
Save the Date: Open community forums are being
planned now for Wednesday, October 1, at the Bristol
Public Library. BDA staff will be on hand for various
blocks of time between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. to accommodate individual schedules. More details will be posted on
the BDA page of the City website, but save this date on
your calendar! Small groups at other locations can be
scheduled upon request. Please feel free to contact the
BDA at 860-584-6185 any time to discuss CDBG
questions or concerns. 
BRISTOL’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HISTORY
ACROSS
3. At one time, Bristol hosted a department store named
______ Brothers.
5. What was the name of the department store that
once occupied the space now filled by Price Chopper
and before that by K-Mart?
7. Associated _____ has been a pioneer in precision
engineering since 1857.
8. The store located on Main Street named Lorraine’s
sold what type of item?
10. What were the call letters of the local Bristol radio
station?
11. What was the name of a well-known pharmacy
located in the “West End” neighborhood with a name
that began with the letter “N”?
14. New Departure was most famous for producing
_______.
15. What is the name of one of Connecticut’s longstanding snowboard and ski shops that has operated in
Bristol since 1964?
DOWN
1. Wallace _______ founded the company that still
bears his name today.
2. The _______ Store was a former business on Laurel
Street well-known for supplying appliances.
1
4
2
3
5
6
7
8
10
9
11
12
13
14
15
DOWN, continued
3. Harrison’s Stationary Store was originally located on _____ St.
4. Started in 1850, a company located on Broad Street specialized
in timepiece mechanisms and shell cases made from _____.
6. Consistently voted as the top bakery in Bristol, this well-known
spot has been in business for over 70 years.
9. Bristol has a history of making _____ for the clock industry.
12. The William E. _______ Clock Co. operated in Forestville from
1903 to 1969.
13. The old movie theatre located on the lower end of Main Street
was called The _____.
Answers: http://ct-bristol.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/4023