This recent January was not a good one to be in the restaurant business in downtown Hartford. Heavy snow narrowed the city’s byways and made on-street parking all but impossible. Plus, workers fled the city at the first suggestion of snow.
Al Ferranti, managing partner of Agave Grill at 100 Allyn St., turned to Living Social to drive business to his Mexican grill and tequila bar, and was pleased with results. In a 24-hour period, he sold 837 certificates that offered $40 of food and drink for $20.
LivingSocial is an online source for people to find handpicked experiences at a discount. Its customers live in more than 240 markets worldwide. There are more than 24 million subscribers. It operates along the same lines as Groupon.