Wood-N-Taps closing Aug. 10 to give employees a break
All Wood N Tap restaurants in Connecticut will be closed on Aug. 10 to give a day off to all employees who have helped the restaurant group get through the coronavirus pandemic, its CEO announced.
“I don’t know how to say thank you enough to the staff that got us through the COVID crisis. So one way in my mind was to give everyone the day off and throw a picnic for them all,” said Phil Barnett, CEO of Hartford Restaurant Group.
About 600 people are employed at the Wood N Taps, Barnett said. Locations are in Hartford, Farmington, Enfield, Newington, Southington, Vernon, Rocky Hill, Hamden and Wallingford. Hartford Restaurant Group also owns Que Whiskey Kitchen in Southington, which also will be closed Aug. 10.
Barnett said signs are posted at all the restaurants to let diners know the restaurants will be closed on that day. The rain date is Aug. 17.
The restaurants are collecting nonperishable foods to be donated to Foodshare. Employees will bring the collected cans to the picnic, which will be in Mill Woods Park in Wethersfield.
Since March 2020, when the COVID-19 health crisis closed the state, the restaurant industry has suffered flatlining revenue, food price hikes and staff shortages. As the industry emerges from the pandemic, high prices and staffing woes continue to plague restaurateurs.
Susan Dunne can be reached at sdunne@courant.com
