The Connecticut Restaurant Association is expanding its reach and rebranding as the Connecticut Restaurant & Hospitality Association, a move leaders say will unify restaurants and lodging businesses under a single statewide trade group and strengthen the industry’s voice on policy and workforce issues.
The announcement, made Tuesday at Hartford’s The Goodwin Hotel, reflects what association leaders describe as a structural shift in how the hospitality sector operates, with restaurants, hotels and related businesses increasingly interconnected.
Under the new structure, the association will represent a combined hospitality sector that includes about 10,000 businesses, 170,000 employees and nearly $21 billion in statewide economic impact. The industry also generates more than $1.5 billion in annual state taxes, according to the organization.
Association officials said Connecticut becomes the 31st state to adopt a combined restaurant-and-lodging trade group model. The shift is intended to expand advocacy at the state Capitol and broaden member services, including compliance support, cost-saving programs and training resources.
“By bringing hotels and restaurants together, we are building a unified front with the scale to fight more effectively for our members at a time when they face unprecedented costs and challenges,” said Scott Dolch, president and CEO of the Connecticut Restaurant & Hospitality Association. “For years, our association’s work has been tied to overlapping partner businesses that form a broader hospitality ecosystem. Now, this is a logical evolution that ensures Connecticut’s hospitality community remains a world-class destination.”
As part of the reorganization, the group increased its board of directors from 25 to 35 seats, adding seven lodging-focused members to broaden industry representation.
Scott Miller, board chairman and chief operating officer and partner at DORO Restaurant Group, said the change comes at a pivotal time for operators across the sector.
“Whether you are a single-location restaurant or a full-service hotel, our challenges are aligned,” Miller said. “Moving forward as one association gives us the political strength and confidence to advance our core objectives in a shifting landscape.”
The rebrand also formalizes closer alignment with the Connecticut Hospitality Educational Foundation, known as CHEF, the group’s workforce development arm. Leaders said the combined association will expand training and career pipeline efforts across both food service and lodging.
The organization said it will enter a final planning phase before a full brand rollout, with additional input from members and stakeholders. The association currently represents more than 2,100 member locations statewide.
