After years of serving up food at its North End location, the Rajun Cajun is up for sale. Its owner said there isn’t any more money to run it.
“I can’t continue to do this by myself, I need some help,” said owner Thomas Armstrong.
Armstrong said the help should come from the city. The restaurant has been a staple in the community. It’s a frequent stop for diners and a spot for the African American Alliance to meet. But Armstrong said his restaurant hasn’t received the funding it needs.
“This building needs work. I sent letters to the mayor that the building needs work. I talked with the people in economic development downtown that the building needs work, but no one seems to care about this building because it’s not owned by the people downtown,” he said.
The city said Armstrong owes $15,000 in back taxes, and he has received help from the city.
“Through our small business program there was assistance in helping them get a loan through HEDCO. There was financial assistance. There was technical assistance, food preparation assistance, and this assistance dates back to 2002 when the restaurant was on New Park Avenue,” said Sarah Barr, Hartford’s Director of Communications.
While Armstrong said the North End has been ignored, the city said that’s not the case. It said every neighborhood is valued. “The city of Hartford has invested more than $600 million dollars in the North End neighborhoods,” said Barr.
