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Braza To Open Restaurant On Constitution Plaza In Hartford

By KENNETH R. GOSSELIN

August 31, 2011

Churrascaria Braza, a Brazilian restaurant in Hartford's West End, is expanding to a new location in downtown Hartford in the space formerly occupied by Spris on Constitution Plaza.

Julio Faria, the restaurant's owner, said Tuesday that he expects to open in early October and is already making renovations to the 6,500-square-foot space. Faria said he plans to also offer a full lunchtime menu to cater to those who work in downtown Hartford in addition to a dinner menu.

This will be third location for Braza, which first opened seven years ago on Farmington Avenue in Hartford. Its second location is in Waterbury.

Faria said that he became interested in the location after conversations with the Brazilian consulate, which has an office on Constitution Plaza. The consulate told Faria that there was a good concentration of business people in the area, he said.

Spris, which featured an Italian-inspired menu, closed late last year after nine years in business.

Jonathan K. Putnam, a broker at commercial real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield, which represents the landlord that owns the restaurant space and office towers, said that there had been several new leases recently in the plaza.

XL Americas, the insurance company, recently added another 5,900 square feet at 100 Constitution Plaza, so that it is now occupying just under 100,000 square feet in the building.

Two additional leases at One Constitution Plaza by financial planning and asset management firms will shift workers from elsewhere in the city to Constitution Plaza, Putnam said.

Waddell & Reed, which has leased 5,700 square feet, previously was at 10 Columbus Blvd. Hartford Financial Management Inc. has leased 4,100 square feet and had its offices on Pratt Street.

Plans also are proceeding for studio and one-bedroom apartments in the former Clarion hotel on the plaza, which has separate owners.