The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Business owner: ‘Things are happening downtown’
Julian Sawyer takes over Brinx bar, adds coffee to offerings
TORRINGTON — Brinx Kitchen & Bar has a new owner.
The restaurant and bar, tucked into a space next door to Toothpick and Manny’s Shoe Repair on Main Street, has a busy lunch hour and afternoon into evening cocktail trade, and seemed to be a perfect second step for Julian Sawyer, owner of Sawyer’s bar and grill, near Franklin Plaza.
“We took Brinx over about a month ago, and we added coffee, muffins, bagels, soups . ... It’s a good fit,” Sawyer said. “I’ve always thought downtown needed a coffee shop, and it’s been great. Things are happening downtown and people seem to like it. So it’s a good idea.”
On the sidewalk, Brinx has a few tables for outdoor dining, with cozy booths and small tables inside.
The bar area is now sharing space with coffee-making machines and equipment, thanks to Michelle Wall, the owner of the former Good Company Coffee House.
“Good Company was popular, and people really liked it there,” Sawyer said. “We were able to bring all her coffee-making equipment over to Brinx, and use it here.”
Good Company closed in 2020. On her Facebook page, Wall introduced herself to Brinx customers, and invited them to visit “Brinx by day” according to a little sign on the counter. Now, she’s serving a variety of hot and cold brewed coffees, espresso, cappuccino and specialty teas to a new following. Brinx also sells pastries, bagels and muffins at the coffee counter, and has added soups to the menu.
“We’re hiring a few more baristas to work the coffee end of Brinx,
and it’s picking up,” Sawyer said.
“It’s good to see people walking around,” Wall said.
Sawyer has owned and operated Sawyer’s at 79 Center St., just off Franklin Plaza, for nine years. Now that more restaurants and other types of businesses are moving into the downtown area, his restaurant is picking up. Franklin Plaza has a farmers market every Thursday, and a number of events have been held there since the plaza first opened in December 2020.
“The Thursday night farmers market has brought us some new customers, people who are walking around, curious about what’s happening on Main Street,” Sawyer said. “There’s a lot of that going on.”
Main Street Torrington has scheduled an Oktoberfest at the plaza, and more activities are planned for the fall and holiday season. Sawyer said he “made it” through the Franklin Plaza construction. Now Pennrose, a development company, is building a 60-unit apartment building across from the plaza, which is drawing a lot of attention from passersby.
“People are interested in what’s happening,” he said.
Being in business for nine years is no small feat, and Sawyer recognizes that as he watches other eateries try to succeed in Torrington. He and Wall rearranged the seating areas of Brinx this week, to freshen the look of the place and keep people interested. Brinx is known for its specialty cocktails, which can be found on the bar’s Facebook page.
“Consistency, and being part of the community, are how you succeed,” he said. “I’m always improving my space. People like that. You have to put the time in, and nourish it, to make it grow. It takes three to five years to really build a business.”