Politics & Government

Malloy Grabs Coffee, Muffin in South Windsor

The governor was there to tout the state's Small Business Express Program as a key economic engine.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy took a coffee break at Between Rounds Bakery Sandwich Café on John Fitch Boulevard in town on Monday, Aug. 5, 2013. The governor also had a corn muffin and a few bites of a bagel while he was there. 

Malloy didn't swing by simply for the coffee or because he was hungry, but because he wanted to tour the restaurant, which was one of almost 900 small businesses throughout Connecticut that has received either a matching grant or a loan through the state's Small Business Express Program under the Democratic governor's tenure. 

Jerry Puiia, president of Between Rounds, said that the $77,613 matching grant his business received from the state through the Small Business Express Program would allow Between Rounds to expand at its three current locations in South Windsor, Manchester and Vernon. Puiia said that Between Rounds had already hired a new employee thanks to the grant, made a number of efficiency improvements to its three locations and was in the process of purchasing a new delivery truck. 

"It allowed us to remodel the store, it allowed us to make our production area better and, hopefully, it will result in us growing this business tremendously," Puiia said. 

Under the terms of the grant, Between Rounds has to show that it retained at least four jobs and created three additional jobs over the period of a year. 

Malloy stressed the importance of the Small Business Express Program in creating and retaining a large number of jobs throughout Connecticut since its inception. He said the program has also proven instrumental in helping a number of small and locally owned businesses throughout the state to expand.

"I'm doing everything I can to get the economy moving again," Malloy said. "…Connecticut didn't grow jobs for 22 years. I'm trying to reverse that trend, and so far I have." 

A spokesman for the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development said the Small Business Express Program has helped Connecticut businesses retain 8,210 jobs and create an additional 2,873 since its creation. The state has spent approximately $108 million on the initiative thus far. 

After getting a tour of Between Rounds from Puiia and other staff of the family-owned business, Malloy purchased a coffee - the governor seemed to be a big fan of the self-service coffee bar option - a corn muffin and a poppy seed bagel with cream cheese. 

"They're very good bagels," Malloy said after a few bites. 

Malloy also toured a Manchester business, Bolton Aerospace, which also received a matching grant through the Small Business Express Program, and participated in a ground breaking ceremony for parking lot improvements at Manchester Community College earlier in the day. 


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