New business owners love being in Southbury
While the pandemic has not been very kind to the business industry the past 18 months, businesses have not been shy about opening in Soutbury.
The common reasons among business owners opening during a pandemic in Southbury are its convenient location off of I-84 and opening in a community that tends to buy local and support local retail businesses, local officials said. Another reason is support from the town government to ensure businesses survive and thrive during the tough times of the pandemic.
Steve Bate opened his Bate Real Estate business in Southbury earlier this year and despite the pandemic had the town on his radar when deciding where to locate.
“I grew up in southern Indiana and I’ve been in a lot of towns and cities,” Bates said. “It’s very difficult to find a town like Southbury that is actually a community that is supportive and has a history of preserving its image.
“You get off the highway and you are in the midst of a busy business district. But you drive a few miles and you have Lake Zoar, lots of parks and open air. Everyone here is successful and there is accessibility. During a pandemic, this is a place where you can go to feel safe environmentally and physically.”
Bate said considering everything that has happened the last two years, Southbury is a place where businesses can be successful because people buy local and enjoy the town’s businesses. There also is support from local government.
“I have been to town halls in other towns,” Bate said. “You walk in and they either make you wait eight hours to tend to you or they tell you to make an appointment. In Southbury, you walk into town hall and they take care of you right away. The first thing they say is ‘how can we help you?’
“Kevin Bielmeier (Southbury economic development director) has been a huge help for the business community and he connects with us. He makes it easier for businesses to succeed. He does his research and lets us know what state and federal programs are out there to help your business survive in this pandemic.”
According to town-by-town business registrations from the Secretary of State’s office, in 2010 there were 61 new businesses in Southbury, in 2015 there were 98 and in 2020 there were 128. Opening the past three months were Motif by Monarch (assisted living facility), Lucas Local Oyster Bar and Grill, Southford Deli, Southbury Baking Co., Pediatric Association, EG Home Design Center, UPS Store, Chipotle, Mission-Salad and Heritage Deli.
For Rob LaBonne, owner of Southbury Self Storage, being in Southbury is a plus for many reasons. On March 5, 2020 he closed his Storehouse business in Southbury to go in a different direction and upgrade his business. He could have gone to another community but opened Southbury Self Storage in 2020 and doing it in the midst of a pandemic was not a concern.
“I wanted to continue the old business and the timing was good to upgrade by doing more things like finding a bigger space and using more automation,” LaBonne said. “For my business, opening Southbury Self Storage during the pandemic wasn’t a problem because we were set up for the pandemic. Carried over from the old business was contactless rentals, which we have done since day one.
“Opening in Southbury was a no-brainer for me. It’s right off I-84, it has a great school system and I know first-hand how financially sound the town is today. I’m an alternate on the town’s Board of Finance. The town is in a great position financially. In 2020, Kevin Bielmeier did as much as he could to reach out and help businsses survive when everything was shut down. And he is still there for us today.”
State and federal assistance programs Bielmeier researched for businesses included PPP, EIDL (Economic Injury Disaster Loan), ERTC (Employee Retention Tax Credit) and the Connecticut Business Recovery Grant.
Lucas Local Oyster Bar and Grill recently opened and had its grand opening ribbon cutting ceremony on Nov. 1. Owner Vince Cappelletti, who owns several restaurants, closed a restaurant he had in Newtown to open in a bigger space.
“Times like this come and go and you have to roll with it,” Cappelletti said. “If you open a new business you have to be optimistic and need a thick skin, especially in the restaurant industry where staffing is an issue.
“I was fortunate because I was able to bring in my team from the Newtown restaurant to Southbury. But it is tough with baking prices and costs up 65 percent and the profit margin around 2-3 percent.”