Restaurateurs Launch Duke's Hospitality Group in New Milford

NEW MILFORD, Conn., April 12, 2023 (Newswire.com) - Most locals in New Milford know of Cool Hand Duke's and Zaragoza's, restaurants owned by the newly established Duke's Hospitality Group. However, they may be less familiar with Duke's Tavern, a restaurant that has the feel of a well-established, local bar with the food and cocktail offerings of a gourmet tavern. Now, Duke's Hospitality Group hopes to bring its passion for amazing food and welcoming spaces to not just the restaurant, but also to the area.

"We're building and establishing the first hospitality group in New Milford," says Doru (Drew) M. Angelo, Connecticut restaurateur and Managing Partner of Duke's Hospitality Group. "We're excited to hire a diverse staff, and are looking forward to working with the local community to expand opportunities both here and throughout the rest of Connecticut."

Angelo and his business partner, William R. Hart Jr., launched Duke's Hospitality Group with the hopes of creating an organization that is not just welcoming to guests, but is also welcoming to a diverse workforce from New Milford and across Connecticut.

"We want to create a group where we show both guests and staff that we value them," says Kristi Rudolph, General Manager of Duke's Hospitality. "We want people to hear about us and know that Duke's Hospitality is a great organization to work with and to work for."

Duke's Hospitality worked hard on its new location to renew and revitalize the space, which has a unique blend of classic American Western decor with a trendy, modern twist. With the new bar and other additions, the location promises upscale comfort food, craft beer, and cocktails in a casual and fun setting. Duke's Tavern is the newest addition to the hospitality group, which also runs Zaragoza, the award-winning tapas restaurant located in the same town.

"There's so much potential with Duke's Tavern," says Rudolph, who has worked for 13 years in the hospitality and restaurant industry. "We want to attract a lot of events here, whether it's for business or to celebrate a special occasion. We want to work with the local community to create more opportunities here."

Duke's Hospitality plans to continue to grow and expand its offerings not just in New Milford, but across Connecticut. Its goal is to create different locations and different offerings that appeal to guests from all over the state.

"A lot of concepts are driven by the fact that restaurants are social gathering places where people celebrate," explains Angelo. "Our goal is to establish restaurants and a catering team that can create different environments for people from different walks of life. We want everyone to be able to celebrate with us - both guests and staff."

Duke's Hospitality is having its official ribbon cutting for the location on Sunday, April 30 at 2:00 PM at 59 Bank Street in New Milford. That's when they'll launch not just the restaurant, but also its brand as a hospitality group in New Milford. Street parking is available, and the event will have food, drinks, prize drawings, music, and more.

Source: Duke's Hospitality Group