With the expansive space in the Apricots building, Barnett said he’d like to model the new Wood-n-Tap like its Newington location, which has ample room for private dining, functions and banquets. “They’ve been really great to work with.” “We had a chance to meet with the Howards and work out some details to go ahead and purchase the property, hopefully relieve them of any stress that they’ve encountered,” he said. “We were looking to do a pretty good rehab on our current facility, but this opportunity came up, and it was the right thing to do.” ![]() Wood-n-Tap opened at 1274 Farmington Avenue in 2004, Barnett said, and after nearly 14 years, it is in need of updates and renovations. Barnett says the plan is to move Wood-n-Tap to the Apricots space. “I don’t see it staying vacant too long,” Gualtieri said.Phil Barnett, a partner in Hartford Restaurant Group, confirmed Wednesday that his company is in the process of purchasing the building. ![]() The building was totally renovated when Que moved in. ![]() Still, Gualtieri expected another business to move in soon. That can make turning from the southbound Queen Street lanes difficult, especially during busy dinner hours. The only potential downside to the location was that it doesn’t have a traffic signal. Other restaurants have come and gone since. Gualtieri said the site was prominent as a Howard Johnson’s due to the peaked roof on the building at the time. These guys know what they’re doing,” he said. In addition to barbecue, Que specialized in whiskeys and bourbons. The site has been home to many restaurants over the years, including Howard Johnson’s, Bickford’s, Gold Roc II Diner and TD Homer’s.ĭominick Gualtieri, owner of Fancy Bagels at 405 Queen St., said he thought Que was a good place but understood the owners’ desire to focus on a growing regional brand. “All the tenants you want to be with are there, all the draws,” Calabrese said. The presence of other retail and restaurants is also a draw for businesses. Part of the draw is the high traffic count and easy highway access. “I get calls every day, ‘What do you have down there?’” he said. Calabrese said he has a list of interested tenants looking to find vacant commercial space along that stretch near the Interstate 84 exit ramp where Que was located. Ralph Calabrese, a commercial real estate broker, has worked with local developers such as John Senese to fill space on Queen Street. Que gift certificates are good at Wood-n-Tap locations, the company said. Other area Wood-n-Tap locations include Wallingford, Farmington and Hamden. ![]() The company has a Wood-n-Tap location at 420 Queen St. Barnett has already received several offers for the property and is considering them. Barnett said the company is looking to sell or lease it. Hartford Restaurant Group owns the property at 461 Queen St. “But we are in the midst of expanding our Wood-n-Tap restaurants to surrounding states… We have decided the best use of our resources was to close Que and fine tune our growth strategy.” “We were very proud of Que,” Barnett wrote. In a statement released Monday, Hartford Restaurant Group co-founder and co-CEO Phil Barnett said closing the restaurant would allow company leaders to focus on Wood-n-Tap locations, which the company also owns. SOUTHINGTON - Que Whiskey Kitchen on Queen Street closed its doors last week but business leaders expect another operator to take over the property soon.
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