Popular downtown Hartford deli Max Bibo’s has officially closed its doors after 21 years in business — a result of a major decline in foot traffic and office catering amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The restaurant hasn’t opened since April 9, owner Bob Colangelo said in an interview Friday morning. Colangelo notified his landlord at the 208 Trumbull St. storefront on Sept. 30, that he’s officially shutting down.
On Friday morning, Max Bibo’s space stood largely empty inside, although wall hangings were still up.
While Max Bibo’s at one point had four locations in Hartford alone, its Wethersfield outpost is the last one standing.
“It wasn’t an easy decision,” Colangelo said. “We just found there wasn’t enough foot traffic, and not enough activity.”
Downtown Hartford offices emptying during the early weeks of the pandemic cut down foot traffic to nearly zero, and shut off Max Bibo’s catering business — about half its revenue — completely, Colangelo said. When the deli closed in April, it was doing about 15% of the revenue it normally does.
The final nail in the coffin may have been the University of Connecticut’s announcement that it won’t hold any events at Hartford’s XL Center until next fall, Colangelo said. Max Bibo’s Hartford store depends on large events that fill downtown with potential customers.
Max Bibo’s closing comes as the state enters phase 3 of reopening, which increases indoor restaurant capacity to 75% (up from 50%), but social distancing guidelines make it hard for many eateries to increase the number of customers they can host.
Additionally, falling temperatures that come with the autumn and winter seasons will begin to choke off outdoor dining options, which many restaurants have relied on since March.