Debate continues over future of bank cafeteria

BRIDGEPORT — Before the coronavirus forced many to work from home, Val Fernandes counted some People’s United Financial employees among the lunchtime customers at his Funchal Americana restaurant downtown.

Still, Fernandes said, if People’s Main Street tower headquarters did not have its own private cafeteria, he would likely feed many more of the company’s staff of 1,350.

When M&T Bank announced its acquisition of People’s last month, many in the area reflected on the significant positive impact the latter institution has had on Bridgeport’s economy and community over the decades.

But having its own cafeteria is one area where some have long felt People’s let downtown down, and now see an opportunity for M&T to fix that by either shuttering or altering that service.

“It certainly would help them be able to say that they were here to help support downtown,” said Paul Timpanelli, who ran the Bridgeport Regional Business Council for nearly 30 years.

He recalled that the bank’s decision to provide in-house dining rather than encouraging workers to venture out was a constant sore point he often discussed with the bank’s presidents: “They all said it has to do with the internal employee productivity.”

Joseph McGee is a former People’s executive who helped build the Bridgeport tower in the 1980s.

“The cafeteria created a more efficient workforce program,” he said. “You could go down and get a lunch in half an hour. Also it was seen as an employee benefit. A lot of people felt downtown didn’t have a lot of restaurants at the time so this was a way to provide lunch.”

McGee said that in his experience workers would sometimes dine in, sometimes out: “The idea it’s a net loss (for the neighborhood), I don’t think that’s accurate.”

Lauren Coakley Vincent, head of the Downtown Special Services District, which promotes that area, said the cafeteria’s future may be among “a number of conversation points to have about their (M&T’s) commitment to downtown and the many ways we can continue to work together.”

“The People’s cafeteria was, I think, a mixed blessing,” Vincent said.

On the one hand the facility has been a good training ground for “food business talent,” according to Vincent. “(But) downtown restaurants and food businesses would have benefited greatly if the People’s Bank employees had to venture out and find delightful local options for their lunch, for their late night working sessions.”

She suggested if M&T remains committed to maintaining the cafeteria, currently operated by hospitality company Sodexo Inc., that the new owner consider incorporating some “local restaurant fare.

“More of a ‘food hall’ style,” Vincent said.

An M&T spokesman in an email Tuesday said it was too early to discuss details of the acquisition given it was just announced and is not expected to close until October.

Leisha Young, owner of Leisha’s Bakeria, said, “I have friends who worked for People’s. They’d tell me they had a really good selection (of food). They were pretty loaded.”

Still, Young said, People’s staff will sometimes venture out, out of “habit” or looking for “something different.”

Chris Jarrin operates Fruta Deli and Cafe. He said that pre-COVID-19 pandemic he would sometimes deliver to People’s headquarters. He did not know the building had a cafeteria and agreed “if there wasn’t, their employees would probably go out and order from the restaurants.”

Fruta is based out of a storefront on Fairfield Avenue and Jarrin is just days away from opening a second location on the ground floor of another prominent downtown landmark — 1000 Lafayette Blvd. He said the new location used to also be in a cafeteria-style but he will not continue that.

Kelvin Ayala recently sold Moe’s Burger Joint downtown to a new owner after running the operation for seven years.

“People’s employees always came (to Moe’s). When Moe’s first opened we offered a 10 percent discount to People’s employees when they would show their badge,” Ayala recalled. “I never saw it as detrimental.”

“Competition’s healthy,” Ayala added. “The more options, the better.”