THE RUSSELL HAS NEW SPACE IN HARTFORD
But restaurant and bar will have same authentic Caribbean flair
The Russell has a newHartford address, but it’s still the same place for “eclectic tastes and soulful sounds.” The Caribbean restaurant and bar moved to 187 Allyn St. this fall, reopening Oct. 1 in the space that most recently housed The Press and before that, Black Bear Saloon and Coach’s.
In July the restaurant and bar announced plans for a “re-locate, re-set, re-launch” on its social media. The response was instantaneous, owner Hugh Russell said, and it made him feel confident that his loyal customer base would follow.
“People said The Russell is home, there’s no place like home. We’re looking forward to coming back,” he said. He opened the new restaurant softly, realizing with COVID-19 concerns that a large grand opening wasn’t feasible, but he said reservations have already been filling up.
Before the move, The Russell was a fixture on Pratt Street for 15 years, offering Jamaican and Caribbean fare and lively nightlife. In the summer of 2018, Hugh Russell added a “grab and go” quick-service operation, with salads, sandwiches, entrees like jerk chicken and oxtail, and snacks including beef patties, jerk wings and coco bread.
But COVID-19 changed his outlook, as the pandemic has done for so many restaurateurs. When Connecticut restaurants were ordered closed in March, Russell tried offering takeout for about a week, he said, but found it wasn’t worthwhile because so many downtown businesses had asked employees to work at home indefinitely.
Russell said his lease on Pratt Street was up and he heard the Allyn Street space was available. Hewas interested in the much larger restaurant — about three times the square footage of his Pratt Street operation — and the availability of nearby parking.
“With [COVID] restrictions, it was important for me to find a space where people could sit down and have dinner and still do the social distancing,” he said. He plans to keep his seating at