Why Small Businesses Matter
Shop small, do big things for your community
Why Small Businesses Matter puts a spotlight on the local merchants who donate their time, talent, goods, and services for the betterment of our community. The shop local movement spreads virally as local businesses who are “tagged” have the opportunity to share their story!
You're IT The Reef Shack!
Four questions with Bridget Lesizza, founder of The Reef Shack.
Why did you start your business?
My husband, Jason, and I had always wanted to open a business together. When we heard that this location would become available, we jumped at the opportunity and quickly developed the business plan which would become the Reef Shack. Fairfield is such an amazing place and we wanted to provide something amazing for the community. We envisioned kids riding the bikes up the take-out window for our Lesizza's Italian Ices and seeing folks coming for delicious lunch with their friends and being greeted by their first names. We wanted it to be an extension of our home, warm and welcoming and always leaving with a full stomach. It's amazing to see that vision coming true.
What is your best-selling product/service?
The Reefer Cheesesteak and our amazing Bacon, Egg & Cheese sandwich are most popular!
How many local businesses do you use to support your business (products and services) and can you name them?
We try to use as many local vendors as possible, for instance, we get all our produce from Sardilli's which is another family-owned local business. We are starting to expand the marketplace side of our business to highlight local vendors that do not have their own brick & mortar retail space of their own. For instance, we have started to sell Wise Guys Tomato sauce and CT Cookie Company's cookies. We are looking to expand that part of the business in the future, we are always looking for great local businesses to partner with.
It has been quite the evolution. We signed our lease in April 2020 at the peak of the pandemic, which has provided a lot of challenges as you could imagine but also some great insight on how to build the business better to meet the safety needs of our customers. We upgraded the entire HVAC system to provide the optimal airflow and installed a takeout window for those patrons that would prefer to stay outdoors, invested in best-in-class technology for contactless payment and curbside service.
The Reef Shack is located at 257 Reef Road in Fairfield. Visit The Reef Shack online here, and make sure to check out their Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages as well!
HamletHub thanks Fairfield County Bank for making our Why Small Businesses Matter series possible!