Vision
Local residents Phil Barnett, Mike Hamlin, Ken McAvoy and Wil Quijano own and operate all of the highly rated Wood-n-Tap restaurants; they are also part owners of the popular downtown restaurant, Agave Grill and TD Homer's Grill, an eclectic sports bar in Southington. Their original vision for the Wood-n-Tap still resonates, with an elegant yet casual atmosphere, and a diverse menu that offers something for everyone, for every occasion. Since opening the first Wood-n-Tap in Hartford in 2002, the partners have made giving back to the community a priority. Through numerous charity events and fundraisers, they have donated over $100,000 to local non-profit organizations.
Grand Opening Fundraisers
Wood-n-Tap holds Grand Opening Fundraisers to benefit local charities in the communities where they're opening. They would like to thank their vendors, friends and family and members of the community who have worked together to make these events a huge success. So far they have raised more than $45,000 for local communities – including $5,250 for the West Haven High School PTSA to celebrate our opening in Orange in December, 2010.
Holiday Giving
Each holiday season, Wood-n-Tap and TD Homer's team up to raise money for those in need. Past fundraisers included "We Are the Children" toy donation drives, in which the generous guests donated thousands of toys and $8,914.00 to benefit the less fortunate children in the State of Connecticut.
In 2010, the Wood-n-Taps and TD Homer's are teaming up with The Make A Wish Foundation's Connecticut Chapter. You can donate while dining in our restaurants to make a wish come true for a Connecticut child battling a life-threatening medical condition. We are also accepting donations alongside your online purchase of Hartford Restaurant Group Gift Cards.
You can also purchase a ticket to the 2nd Annual Hartford Holiday Gala on January 15th at the Bushnell in Downtown Hartford. Proceeds raised from this event will benefit the Make-a-Wish Foundation® CT Chapter. Last year's event raised $25,000 and adopted three wishes for local CT children. For more information, visit www.HartfordHolidayGala.com. Tickets must be purchased in advance before January 7, 2011.
The sole purpose of the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Connecticut is to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. We want to provide children with the hope for better times, the strength for the tough times and the joy to experience the present. The Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Connecticut has granted over 1,900 wishes since our founding in 1986. Our goal is to be a unique part of the treatment process. With doctors providing the medicine and the Make-A-Wish Foundation® supplying the magic, we strive to create miracles in the lives of some very special children.
Annual Munch Madness to benefit Channel 3 Kids Camp
Every year, all the Wood-n-Taps raise money for the Channel 3 Kids Camp with their bar bite eating contest called Munch Madness. Teams of two to four people battle it out to see which team can finish a plate of bar bites the fastest. The winning teams from each restaurant go head to head in the final round of the competition. In their 3 years of this friendly competition, $15,673 has been raised for the local charity. Click here more information, or to see the videos from past years.
FanTAPsy Football to Benefit CT Children's Medical Center
Another annual fundraiser, FanTapsy Football, has brought together football fans to raise money and awareness for CT Children's Medical Center in a unique fantasy football experience. Six conferences, 24 divisions and 288 teams play against each other and have a chance to win a fantasy grand prize. The grand prize in 2009 was a trip for 2, all expense paid, to see the Pro Bowl in Miami. The 2010 grand prize is a six-night all-expenses-paid Caribbean cruise! A $30 donation gets you a spot in one of the state's fastest growing and most popular fantasy football leagues.
Local Charity Organizations Helped
In addition to substantial donations to We Are the Children, CT Children's Medical Center, The Susan G. Komen Foundation, CT, St. Jude's Medical Research Center, Hartford Distributors Memorial Fund and Channel 3 Kids Camp, Wood-n-Tap has provided support to organizations such as local Boys and Girls Clubs, Roses for Autism, the Hartford Arts Council, The Mill Foundation, Southington Western Little League, Rocky Hill Parks & Rec and numerous PTO groups. We also sponsor several local community sports teams each year. Here's a partial list of the programs we've supported and helped throughout the years:
Hartford Business Journal Awards Barnett with 40 Under Forty
Phil Barnett received the 2010 40 Under Forty Award because of his commitment to the local communities. Here's an excerpt from his interview:
What do you want to be doing in 10 years?
"I would be thrilled to have grown our company and the Wood-n-Tap brand throughout Connecticut (and hopefully beyond) while supporting the local communities and their charities. I feel it is very important to give back to the communities that support our businesses.
"I have a lot of heart and determination. I never want to become complacent about my businesses. There is always room for improvement."
What about Community Involvement?
"Over the past seven-plus years, the Hartford Restaurant Group has supported many local charities and community organizations to raise over $100,000. Our community support has helped us to thrive and we want to help our communities thrive. We have supported a variety of organizations from large non-profit charities, such as the Lea's Foundation for Leukemia research and Autism Speaks, to local various school PTO fundraisers and multiple memorial fundraisers. A good portion of our office workers' day is reading and responding to the thousands of requests we get each year. We are so flattered and honored that we are so well known for our eagerness and generosity."
Click here to read the full interview.
At the Wood-n-Tap and the Hartford Restaurant Group, we're proud of our strong ties to the communities we serve. And we're committed to giving back in any way we can. As such, we 're eager to help out the local and regional charities that make life better throughout Greater Hartford and beyond – by offering our services, sponsorships, gift cards, advertisements and more. If you'd like to request support from any Hartford Restaurant Group affiliated establishment, we ask that you please fill out our online request form. This is the most direct and efficient way to reach us, as restaurant personnel are unable to consider requests at our individual locations. If your donation request is accepted, we will respond personally within 10 business days.
Thank you for helping us give back to our local communities.