BERLIN – One of Berlin’s newest business owners took the opportunity to praise the town for its support during this week’s council meeting.
On Monday Jeff Hamer, owner of Fins Ale House and Raw Bar, approached the Berlin Town Council to voice his appreciation of the municipality’s willingness to work with businesses. He praised the sense of community exhibited by the town’s residents and staff.
“I think it’s fostered from a top down approach,” he said.
Hamer, who also has restaurants in Delaware, told the council that though he’s admired Berlin for years, he never intended to set up shop there.
“I’ve watched this town grow and blossom,” he said. “Nowhere on the radar was coming to Berlin to open a restaurant.”
He couldn’t resist, however, when he learned the space formerly occupied by Leaky Pete’s Oyster Bar and Chophouse was available. His interactions with town employees when he inquired about the necessary permits and regulations only encouraged him. He said Carolyn Duffy, the town’s permit coordinator, had taken the time to answer all of his questions and even showed him the town’s various neighborhoods.
“She showed me every single neighborhood, told me what the demographics were …,” he said. “I said it’s top down and that’s how I try to drive my company. You can see that people that are that comfortable and enjoy their job that much are going to share that they’re proud. I said this is the kind of direction our business is going to go. If people take pride in the town like this, we’re going to have a lot of support.”
Hamer said getting his Berlin restaurant up and running had taken a fraction of the time his projects in Delaware had required. He said there were towns there that were similar but couldn’t boast the success of Berlin.
“They have the same bones but after being here you can tell why the town is flourishing,” he said.
Hamer said he’d been made to feel welcome and was consistently impressed by the community spirit in Berlin.
“People are proud of the city here,” he said.
The warm welcome and efficiency Hamer experienced in Berlin allowed him to open Fins in October. In doing so, he hired 15 area residents and shifted some of his Delaware employees who wouldn’t have had work during the winter to the Berlin eatery.
“The important part of all this is you can’t have a sense of community unless people have jobs,” he said.
Mayor Gee Williams said Hamer’s comments were welcome and that it was important for the town’s department heads to hear them.
“I think our town is trying to think of itself as a family,” Williams said. “The folks that live here we’re sharing the community.”
He said town leaders encouraged all of Berlin’s businesses to support each other.
“The days when everybody cut everybody else’s throat basically ended up with everybody bleeding to death,” Williams said. “Sure there’s competition but where cooperation and collaboration is possible we encourage it.”
