New London restaurant opening prompted by a starchy craving
Jul. 29—NEW LONDON — Like with many big endeavors, the recent opening of the New London Eats restaurant began somewhat humbly.
For co-owner Miguel Gautier, it started with a craving.
"One day, I wanted a baked potato, the kind loaded with mac and cheese like you could get at the Big E," he said, referring to the massive annual New England exposition. "But there was no place to get one around here. So, I opened this place up."
"This place" is a 900-square-foot eatery at 2 Bank St., right at the intersection of State Street, a prime piece of downtown real estate with views of both Parade Plaza and the waterfront area.
"I actually wanted to buy the building, but ended up signing a lease with no real idea how to run a restaurant," Gautier said last week in front of a small counter area where metal tubs of fresh vegetables and roasted meats were on display.
"We started with those toppings, the kinds of things you could put on a potato, and then added different bases, like hot dogs, nachos and mac and cheese," he said. "We've gotten several repeat customers since we opened more than a month ago, which is always a good sign."
Even with the mercury flirting with the 90-degree mark Thursday afternoon, a steady stream of customers entered the restaurant and placed orders for foil-wrapped hot dogs, cartons of chili mac and cheese, and buffalo chicken baked potatoes.
Bob Douglas, 96, said he made the trip from Groton based on a recommendation from his neighbor's niece.
"I came here specifically for this," he said, navigating his walker through the restaurant door with the help of other customers. "Hot dog — plain with sauerkraut — that's how I like it."
If Gautier had a business card listing all his services, it's unlikely to fit into a wallet. The Montville resident has worked for the New London Public Schools system for 14 years, currently as its facilities director, while also finding time to run his "Tint My Ride" window-shading business.
"I'm also a Realtor and landlord," said Gautier, who initially moved to New London from Puerto Rico in 2006 to attend the University of Connecticut. "I don't sleep a lot."
Behind the counter, assistant manager Gabriel Marrero, one of the restaurant's seven part-time workers, glided past a co-worker on his way through a small kitchen area where 20 potatoes a day are washed, cooked, split and topped.
"I was working at a Dunkin' Donuts in New Haven when I saw this place was hiring," the 28-year-old New London transplant said from behind a selection of banana peppers, ground beef, shredded cheese and diced onion. "We have people coming here every day getting their same order, as well as new faces."
Gautier, who admits he's more comfortable with the business side of running a restaurant, is not shy about his ambitions.
"I want to have franchises for a Groton Eats, a Norwich Eats," he said. "I want the people who work here to one day own their own restaurants."
At a checkout counter near a beverage case stocked with sodas, Marrero took a large order from Lina Agudelo, executive director of the Hispanic Alliance of Southeastern Connecticut.
Agudelo was accompanied by several teens taking part in the group's summer youth enrichment program.
"The pilot program gives us the chance to take these kids, who are first-generation residents, to places in the city they haven't been, like the Lyman Allyn Museum or the library," she said. "And we always go to a local restaurant — not a franchise — for lunch."
Though word-of-mouth has helped attract customers, it was the recent Sailfest that really set the shop hopping.
"I looked out at one point, and there was a line of 70 people on one side of the building and another line of 50 on the other side," Gautier said.
Gautier said all the work it took getting the restaurant running meant he was finally able to satisfy that yen for a topped spud.
"I'm in here eating four or five days a week," he said. "My go-to order is a baked potato with pulled pork."
