THE REGISTER CITIZEN / STAFF WRITER / JUNE 1, 2017
Kristopher Kelsey wanted to bring something special to Torrington when he opened Hanq’s, a restaurant and bar on Water Street..
Business has been good, Kelsey said Thursday, as he prepared to open for the evening.
“The clientele is phenomenal. Torrington’s been really good to us, Litchfield County has been (as well),” said Kelsey. “We’re bringing in a lot of out-of-town customers as well. The Warner, Five Points Gallery, they’ve been big supporters of what we’re doing. The Litchfield community is unbelievable, and we’ve been growing every month since we’ve been open. Nothing but positive stuff.”
Kelsey, a Winsted native, said the idea for the place came to him after a period working as a musical engineer and DJ, which took him to Los Angeles and Las Vegas. But the hours were a grind, spurring him to move back to Connecticut, he said. He wanted to stay in touch with the entertainment business, and the restaurant angle seemed like a good one. He always wanted to be in the business, he said, and had tried ventures along those lines in the past.
Also, he knew the owner of the building on Water Street. He came there as a younger man, in the early 2000s, began to explore opening a restaurant in the space, which was previously home to a series of bars and eateries and was empty for about two years after the Downtown Cafe ended its run in 2014.
The aim he has in mind with Hanq’s is highlighting the attractive aspects of the city. That vision includes the building, which features custom woodworking, the interior brick brought into view, and a comfortable, upscale dining space for visitors.
“Hanq’s absolutely is a representation of what we feel about Torrington — the staff, everybody — how genuine we are, how original it is. I wanted to stay as close to what this building is, and what the history of it is for Torrington, instead of trying to cover up and make it somewhere else,” said Kelsey. “We have a great small city that has a lot of attractive attributes, and we want to be one of those. We want to bring back quality... What I would want to get out of this is that people can come here and have an easy experience, but really realize the effort that we put into giving them that good experience.”
The menu is focused on American cuisine, incorporating elements from other cultures, Kelsey said. His favorite thing on the menu, amid fancier options such as duck and foie grais, is the Asian burger, a mix of American, Asian and European influences, which is made from wagyu beef and includes truffle oil.
“American cuisine is absolutely a fusion of different cultures, and that’s what you can find in a lot of our cuisine,” said Kelsey.
The menu is seasonally based on what’s growing during the time. Herbs from the garden housed on the roof, where folks can sit and have a meal, are used at the restaurant.
Hanq’s is holding a fundraiser and art show to benefit the Susan B. Anthony Project and the Connecticut Academy for the Arts on June 26. The aim is to help the two institutions. The Susan B. Anthony Project is a neighbor, and CAFTA has been working with the Hanq’s logo, which hearkens back to his history in the arts. Kelsey hopes to bring local people together in support of the community.
“To build a better community is to tie everybody in, and to attract people from outside of here to see how important it is to us, and the good things going on,” said Kelsey. “The effort hasn’t been great — it’s building. There’s a lot of other good establishments in town. They’re helping to develop the area and to just make it more approachable, and I want to be a part of that, as well as the other people I know in this community.”
He offered his thanks to city residents for their support Thursday, as the restaurant continues on after reaching a milestone of a year in business.
“Just a thank you. Litchfield County’s been unbelievable to us — we’ve gotten a lot of recognition from outside of it as well — but Torrington has been a huge supporter,” said Kelsey. “And everybody is appreciative, because it’s absolutely not easy to open up a restaurant, especially when you’re outside of the box and trying to transform the area a little bit, and Torrington has been overwhelmingly supportive of everything we’ve done, so just a thank you, that’s it.”
To reach Hanq’s, call 860-309-7200, or find the restaurant on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/hanqs. The address is 131 Water St., Torrington.
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