14 hours ago
CT restaurant group expands into new towns offering same high-quality food with fresh ingredients
The expansion of the DORO Restaurant Group continues in Connecticut, with plenty more to come.
The DORO property count, including the marketplaces and restaurants, is expected to increase to an even dozen after a pair of new DORO Marketplace businesses open in Old Saybrook and Plainville.
The Old Saybrook opening will bring DORO into Middlesex County for the first time. It will open to the public at 745 Boston Post Road later this month. A new DORO Marketplace is also moving into Plainville at 359 New Britain Ave. with a planned opening in August. That location will be a part of a new plaza already has a Jersey Mike's and Shangri-La Dispensaries.
DORO Marketplace offers scratch-made baked bread, cappuccino, prepared sandwiches, salads, desserts, pasta and pesto and has already established locations in West Hartford, Windsor Locks and Wethersfield.
The West Hartford-based DORO Restaurant Group, led by West Hartford resident and CEO Dorjan Puka and Chief Operating Officer Scott Miller, have owned restaurants in Hartford County since 2010. Among them are Treva, Artisanal Burger Company, Zohara Mediterranean Kitchen, Avert Brasserie and Casadoro Ristorante & Bar. In addition, DORO does a catering business.
The Old Saybrook DORO Marketplace was previously an Italian restaurant, 745 Osteria. The restaurant announced the sale to DORO on social media in April.
'It's a beautiful location,' Miller said. 'It's a quick skip and a jump from the beach areas. We feel that it's an attractive market because there are no bakeries in the immediate area.'
Miller said DORO took over a building that was in good shape and the last three months has been about making transforming it into the DORO brand.
'There is already a working kitchen, and a lot of infrastructure was already in place. It was not a complete build up,' Miller said.
The upcoming Plainville location marks DORO's fifth marketplace.
'We are very excited to get into Plainville,' Miller said. 'It's a market that is untapped in our minds for coffee, a bakery and the things we do. This location has a nice neighborhood feel to it despite having a lot of businesses around there including a commercial supermarket and lots of retail spots within a mile radius.
'It's in a brand-new shopping center. It's busy area with easy on and off from the highway,' he added. 'Plainville is uniquely positioned and I think we will not only draw from Plainville but also from Southington and Farmington.'
Plainville Town Manager Michael Paulhus said DORO Marketplace is another great addition to town.
'I'm looking forward to it,' Paulhus said. 'I haven't experience DORO yet, but my colleagues rave about it. It's a great addition to New Britain Avenue and the development moving in.'
Paulhus said the 'quick on and off from the highway' made the area attractive to developers. Paulhus pointed out other businesses moving into the area recently like the Jersey Mike's, Aldi's and Boot Barn.
'We are starting to pop up on the radar for retail, restaurants and businesses. It's great mix for us. We welcome DORO as the latest one that has chosen Plainville to do business.'
Miller said the reason for the expansion and success of DORO Marketplace is its products and workforce.
'There's no real competition and I say that humbly. We believe a true artisan-style bakery buys great ingredients. Product that hits our marketplaces is being baked right now into the early evening and in the morning,' Miller said. 'The products are shipped at 4:30 a.m. to the marketplace and are as fresh as fresh can be.
'We believe in quality over nickel-and-diming,' he added. 'When we look at building an item for our restaurant or marketplaces, we buy the best we can possibly buy and work backwards and try to make money after getting the best quality. Other places buy off of price tags. We tell our people to buy the best quality people will find. People will come for that. The margins may not be quite as high as our competitors, but we will continue people coming in day after day. Eventually they will see quality is something we don't mess with and its aways great.'
Miller said the DORO ownership still run the locations like mom-and-pop businesses.
'We are involved every day in all company decisions as well as working the floor if that means bartending, making expressos, cooking,' Miller said. 'We hire great people, and they have bought into our core values. We like working with our people, so they understand our point of view about running a business.'
What's next for DORO? Miller said there is nothing to speak of yet, but the restaurant group has a goal to have 10 DORO Marketplaces in the state by the end of 2026. He said the company is looking toward moving west on the shoreline and mentioned New Haven, Branford and Guilford as potential places to expand. 'New Haven and Fairfield counties are on our bucket list,' he said.
'We are hoping to get into double digits by then, we want growth,' Miller added. 'Eventually, we would like national growth, but we want to nail it down here first.'
