Business & Tech
Despite Setback, New Crown and Hammer Owners Plan Soft Opening
A full dinner menu is expected to be in place this weekend.
Some unforeseen circumstances will present the new Crown and Hammer owners from giving residents a complete taste of its offerings early this week but they still plan to celebrate Tuesday evening.
“We’re so eager to get open we’re going to go with a soft opening,” said Jonathan White, an owner and executive chef at the restaurant. “We ran into some construction problems but we’re working them out and look forward to a full opening by Friday evening.”
The holdup at the restaurant involved some details in its kitchen, so on Tuesday evening, May 3, owners plan to open the bar and offer some light finger food. Wednesday and Thursday evening the restaurant plans to offer light pub fare in the evening and by Friday, May 6, plans to offer a full menu.
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The weekend will also feature live entertainment, including the music of singer-songwriter Shawn Taylor on Friday.
In the near future, the restaurant may have to close for one to two business days to install its more permanent stove but will be full steam ahead from there, White said.
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“We’re looking forward to meeting our patrons and welcoming them to the new Crown and Hammer,” said White, a Farmington High School graduate.
White and his partners, who include his sister Susan Tancredi and her husband Jim of Avon and John and Lori Brandon of West Hartford, recently bought the business from John Rainey, who retains ownership of the building.
For the past month, the restaurant has been closed while the new owners spruced up the inside and waited for a new liquor permit.
The restaurant plans to offer “upscale comfort food” and open Tuesday through Sunday with a lunch menu from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and dinner until 9 p.m. most days and 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. A pub menu will be available until 11 p.m. during the week and midnight on Friday and Saturday. Closing time is one hour later.
Lunch items will range from $9 to $13 and include choices like crown lobster roll, turkey gobbler, tuna melt, a bison burger and lobster mac and cheese.
Dinner entrees, which go from $13 to $29, include lobster pot pie, grilled vegetable pasta, salmon filet and more. At the highest price point is “the king,” a grilled hand-trimmed organic New York Strip with a port wine demi-glaze and sautéed garlic shrimp.
Various starters, salads and sides will be offered as well. Children’s menu items like chicken tenders and fried, mac and cheese and pasta with marinara sauce will be $7.95.
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