AND
AND THE
AND THE HELP OF SO MANY PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE COME
TOGETHER TO HELP KEEP THOSE
BUSINESSES THRIVING.
BUSINESSES THRIVING. >>
>>
>> LAST
>> LAST MAY BUSINESS INSIDER
REPORTED
REPORTED THAT MORE THAN 100000 SMALL BUSINESSES HAD TO CLOSE
THEIR DOORS PERMANENTLY.
NOW ALMOST A YEAR LATER THAT
NUMBER CONTINUES TO RISE.
BUT FOR SOME OF THOSE
BUSINESSES THERE'S BEEN HOPE
REDROCK TAVERN A STAPLE IN
HARTFORD THAT'S BEEN AROUND
SINCE THE 1930S.
>>
>>
>> AS
>> AS MY
>> AS MY DAD LIKES TO SAY, IT'S
HARTFORD'S BEST KEPT SECRET.
BUT THAT SECRET STAYED A SECRET
WHEN COVID19 SWEPT ACROSS OUR
NATION, FORCING LIFE AS WE KNOW
IT TO COME TO A SCREECHING
HALT.
HALT.
HALT. HOW
HALT. HOW DID HE DAY HOW ARE YOU,
SIR?
SIR?
SIR? >>
>>
>> BUT
>> BUT THEN A CALL CHANGED IT ALL
TO.
TO.
TO. >>
>>
>> IT'S
>> IT'S INCREDIBLE.
IT'S INCREDIBLE. >>
>>
>> I
>> I MEAN
>> I MEAN IT'S LIKE HITTING
THE LOTTERY FOR US.
>>
>>
>> THAT'S
>> THAT'S DAVE PORTNOY, AN
INTERNET CELEBRITY BLOGGER WHO
CREATED THE NOW FAMOUS WEBSITE
BARSTOOL SPORTS, A COMPANY
THAT'S BLOWN UP AND IS NOW
WORTH MILLIONS.
WORTH MILLIONS. PORTNOY OR AS SOME CALL HIM EL
PRESIDENTE IS VERY PASSIONATE
ABOUT SMALL BUSINESSES STAYING
ALIVE.
ALIVE.
ALIVE. SO
ALIVE. SO HE CREATED A FUND TO TRY TO
SAVE AS MANY AS HE COULD IN
ORDER TO APPLY.
THERE ARE MULTIPLE STEPS
DISCLOSING THINGS LIKE HOW MUCH
MONEY YOU'VE LOST A NUMBER OF
EMPLOYEES AND ALL SORTS OF
THINGS OF THE LIKE OH GEE IT
WASN'T THERE WAS AMAZING BLOWN
AWAY THAT YOU KNOW, JUST
SOMEBODY AT THAT STATURE WOULD
JUST HELP AVERAGE PEOPLE.
>>
>>
>> FOR
>> FOR BOBBY HILTON, OWNER OF YALE
BILLIARDS IN WALLINGFORD, A
KIND FRIEND NOMINATING HILTON'S
BUSINESS BODY WAS IT WAS MY
WEDDING.
WEDDING.
WEDDING. >>
>>
>> SO
>> SO THAT'S JUST ME GO INTO
THE POOL AND JUST WALK AND IT
ENDED UP BEING REALLY GOOD
FRIENDS AND THAT'S JUST A
TESTAMENT TO WHAT THE PLACE IS
ALL ABOUT REALLY WHAT'S GOING
ON HOW ARE YOU DOING IN
CONNECTICUT IS SUCH A GREAT
STATE TO LIVE IN.
>>
>>
>> SO
>> SO WHEN I GOT THAT CALL I JUST
FELT LIKE THE WAY YOU LEFT OFF
MY SHOULDERS A LITTLE BIT I'M
GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET THROUGH
THIS.
THIS.
THIS. >>
>>
>> EACH
>> EACH BUSINESS RECEIVES A
DIFFERENT AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT
IS CALCULATED BASED OFF OF
THEIR APPLICATION.
THEIR APPLICATION. THOSE PAYMENTS WILL THEN BE
REOCCURRING PAYMENTS UNTIL
THE ECONOMY STABILIZES AND
THE PANDEMIC IS UNDER CONTROL.
EVERY SMALL BUSINESS HAS
DIFFERENT SITUATIONS BUT WE'RE
ALL IN THE SAME BOAT RIGHT NOW
AND EVERYBODY HAS LOST HOPE.
>>
>>
>> WHEN
>> WHEN I
>> WHEN I GOT THAT PHONE CALL IT
WAS JUST INCREDIBLE.
>>
>>
>> MARIA
>> MARIA FROM LUTZKER IN
WALLINGFORD, A MEDITERRANEAN
RESTAURANT STARTED BY HER
PARENTS CRYING TEARS OF JOY SAW
OBVIOUSLY THE VIDEO AND IT'S A
NO BRAINER THAT WE WANT TO
HELP.
HELP.
HELP. >>
>>
>> I
>> I THINK IT'S A FEELING THAT YOU
HAVE LIKE A TON OF WEIGHT
LIFTED OFF YOUR SHOULDERS FOR
THE FIRST TIME IN ALMOST A
YEAR.
YEAR.
YEAR. ELMER'S PLACE A STAPLE IN
THE COMMUNITY ALSO GETTING
THEIR CALL GOT A RANDOM FACE
TIME ON SATURDAY ABOUT ONE
THIRTY AFTER THAT AND IT WAS OR
MAYBE SLYSZ ELMERS WAS ALSO
FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO GET SOME
EXTRA HELP FROM THE COMMUNITY
WHEN TWO PEOPLE STARTED A
CROWDFUNDING PAGE TO HELP SAVE
ELMERS AND THEY SAY NOW IT'S
THEIR TURN TO GIVE BACK AND
REALLY OUR HOPE IS THAT BECAUSE
WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN THIS GIFT
THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO PAY IT
FORWARD ONCE WE CAN GET
ESTABLISHED AGAIN AND AND GIVE
BACK TO HIS FUND AND BE ABLE TO
HELP ANOTHER BUSINESS LOOKING
FOR A GOOD DELI.
>>
>>
>> WELL,
>> WELL, THE NEW YORK PICKLE DELI
IN ROCKY HILL LIVES ON.
I REMEMBER THE FIRST DAY WE
CLOSED IT WAS SCARY AND IT WAS
EMOTIONAL.
EMOTIONAL. >>
>>
>> IT
>> IT WAS
>> IT WAS REALLY EMOTIONAL.
>>
>>
>> BRITTANY'S FATHER OPEN UP
THE POPULAR EATERY WHEN HE WAS
JUST TWENTY THREE YEARS OLD.
SO WE WANT TO YOU GOT MONEY YOU
NEED.
NEED.
NEED. >>
>>
>> MY
>> MY MOM
>> MY MOM HAS WORKED HERE MY WHOLE
LIFE AS WELL SO I WORKED SINCE
I WAS LIKE TEN.
>>
>>
>> I
>> I REMEMBER I USED TO STAND ON A
MILK CARTON TO BRING PEOPLE OUT
BECAUSE I COULDN'T REACH
THE REGISTER.
THE REGISTER. >>
>>
>> YOU'VE
>> YOU'VE BEEN RUNNING A
RESTAURANT SUCCESSFULLY FOR A
LONG TIME AND WE WANT TO HELP
OUT.
OUT.
OUT. SAME
OUT. SAME GOES FOR GAETANO'S ON MAIN
WALLINGFORD.
WALLINGFORD. >>
>>
>> MY
>> MY SISTER AND I OWN IT.
WE'VE BEEN A BUSINESS.
IT'LL BE EIGHTEEN YEARS IN
FEBRUARY DEBBIE INITIALLY KNEW
NOTHING ABOUT THIS FUND.
>>
>>
>> I
>> I HAD
>> I HAD A CUSTOMER THAT SENT
THE LINK TO ME, HE SAID BECAUSE
HE KNEW WE HAD A LOT OF HEALTH
PROBLEMS IN TWENTY TWENTY WITH
MY SISTER STARTING UP HAVING A
STROKE AUGGIE AND RAISED IN
EAST HARTFORD ALSO GETTING
THEIR GOLDEN TICKET AND PIGGY'S
CAFE IN HARTFORD AS WELL.
>>
>>
>> THE
>> THE BAR STOOL FUND HAS NOW
RAISED ROUGHLY THIRTY FIVE
MILLION DOLLARS AND THE TOTAL
CONTINUES TO GROW.
>>
>>
>> WELL
>> WELL I
>> WELL I THINK LOCAL BUSINESS IS
WHAT KEEPS THIS COUNTRY GOING.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED