Downtown Hartford’s Infinity Music Hall closed its restaurant operations earlier this year after being acquired by a Fairfield-based live-entertainment company, officials confirmed Thursday.
Infinity Hall, located in the Capital City’s Front Street entertainment district, ended food sales at its lower-level bistro and 92-seat mezzanine area just a day before the venue was purchased by GoodWorks Entertainment Group in early April, according to GoodWorks CEO Tyler Grill.
Three bars in the five-year-old entertainment venue continue to serve drinks for private events and regular entertainment bookings, Grill said.
Members of Infinity Hall were notified about the restaurant closure by email following the takeover, but the closure hasn’t previously been reported.
Grill, whose company also acquired Norfolk’s Infinity Music Hall in April, said GoodWorks decided to shutter the restaurant in an effort to focus on its presence as an entertainment venue.
“There are all of these fantastic restaurants right there on the street,” Grill said of the Front Street corridor. “Rather than competing with area restaurants, we can complement and partner with them.”
Grill said GoodWorks, which continues to operate a bistro at Norfolk’s Infinity Music Hall, has cut a deal with several area restaurants — including Front Street Bistro, Ted’s Montana Grill, Bear’s Smokehouse Barbecue and The Blind Pig Pizza Co. — a 10 percent discount to patrons who present Infinity Hall event tickets.
An unspecified number of restaurant staffers were terminated prior to GoodWorks’ takeover in April. Grill said his company rehired the remaining 17 full-time and roughly 80 part-time employees at the Hartford and Norfolk venues.
Dan Hincks was the founder of Infinity Hall in Norfolk and Hartford. Hincks opened the Norfolk location a decade ago, and then debuted the Hartford venue on Front Street in 2014.
GoodWorks, Grill said, has significantly increased programming at the Hartford venue with a mix of new comedy shows, speaking events and concerts. He expects the venue to host about 200 events in 2019.
“We are getting a lot of community support, so it’s been a really great experience so far,” Grill said.
GoodWorks is also the exclusive talent buyer for The Klein in Bridgeport, Fairfield Theatre Co. and The Stationery Factory in Dalton, Mass.
This story has been updated
