MIDDLETOWN, Conn. — Restaurants had to close hours before the clock struck midnight on New Year's Eve, but they were able to welcome customers in for New Year's Day events on Friday. Restaurants like Eli Cannon's in Middletown and 1741 Pub & Grill at Lyman Orchard's in Middlefield hosted New Year's Day brunches.
"We enjoy going out, we enjoy still trying to do normal stuff as much as we can with everything going on," said Daniella Rooslund of Cromwell.
At Eli Cannon's it's a three-year tradition.
"We're just trying to celebrate the new year by doing some fun brunch stuff," said Aubrey Lamonica, owner of Eli Cannon's. "We want to give people a safe way to celebrate this morning," she said.
For some, it was a new type of New Year's celebration, but brunch gave them the opportunity to still get out and do something.
"Yeah, it's different but we're celebrating 2021 and getting back to normal," said Linda Allain of Middletown.
2020 was an extremely difficult year for restaurants, so they are also hoping for an easier time.
"Right now it's the new normal it no longer feels like we're adjusting we're sort of operating in the safe way," said Lamonica. "We're just kind of continuing until we get to the other side of this," she said.
There is some relief coming in the form of PPP loans, but restaurant owners say not everyone is able to get them.
"We've looked into them here and there but you know they got sucked upright in the beginning by a lot of places but I'm glad they did it, it's really good to do, but we've been doing pretty well just because we're really big with take out," said Antonio Lockwood, owner, of Jerry's Pizza & Bar in Middletown. Another New Year's Day tradition, college football, brought customers into his restaurant Friday. "We've got a lot of people coming in, they're rooting for Alabama, they're in it again," he said. The holiday events helped start the year off on a positive note. "We're very hopeful, I think that's the only way you can go in, we all just want to say bye to 2020,” said Lamonica.