Operation Broken Crust

The Broken Crust is a small pizzeria, deli and cafe located in "The Quiet Corner" of Putnam, Connecticut, a rural town where community always supports each other. The owners spent many months (and their life savings!) gutting out an old donut shop and totally renovating the inside. It boasts of rich brick facades, a brand-new kitchen, new walls, new countertops, and a gorgeous coffee station and tables made by one owner with handcrafted wood. They adorned this quaint little place with beautiful pendant lights and chalkboard menus. With a great view of the famous Cargill Waterfall, it was a dream come true for the Cozza and Martin families. They worked hard building the menu, testing every single item on it during Sunday football games, choosing the perfect wines and beers, and they just knew it would be a great place. They spent months hiring the most cheerful staff and best cooks.

The four owners all play a different role and it has come together perfectly. Two owners are chefs, with one being a businessman also. One owner does all of the handywork, including building and fixing everything inside, and one takes care of social media and entertainment, which consists of a one-man band in the corner strumming and singing on a Saturday night. The restaurant is home to over 32 beers, 12 wines, bakery pizza, handcrafted sandwiches, daily made soup, unique salads and much, much, more. A place where locally sourced products and homemade cooking come to life in a unique café setting. Once you eat there, you won't question why the dough was coined “A crust so good it was made to be broken”!

The Broken Crust had its grand opening, a day for family and friends to test the waters. It was fantastic and they knew they were ready for the challenge. Opening the next day, all of their worries fell to the wayside as the customers poured in and the staff came together to create the exact experience the owners were looking for - a cool place to hang out, great service, fantastic food and all-around fun. What a relief! Those first two weeks were challenging because it was so busy, but The Broken Crust was a success.

Then came Covid-19 and the sudden shutdown of businesses around the world. Who could have known? It couldn't even be predicted as a possibility. It has never happened before. Talk about a huge letdown. Two weeks in and The Broken Crust was reduced to take-out only.

So, here's what the owners did. They refused to crumble. They refused to let their dream end. Instead, they created #operationbrokencrust. You see, they had a walk-in full of enough food to feed the crowds they expected. But the crowds were no longer coming in. They weren't going to let the food go bad. That would be crazy. So instead, Operation Broken Crust came to life and every single day since, a home-cooked hot meal has been delivered to the deserving first responders of the community - the hospital, the local nursing home, the police station, fire station, EMT's, the local radio station, the post office and so many more. They've surprised the birthing center, the ICU, security, intensive care, x-ray, diagnostic imaging, etc. with pizzas, salads soups, sandwiches and appetizers and even breakfast and hot coffee in the morning.

But it actually became Operation Broken Crust when they announced it on social media to the community, told them what they were doing and asked for a small $5.00 donation from anyone wanting to help feed the first responders and essential workers. The donations started coming in immediately. The small community of Putnam came together and to this day are still donating to #operationbrokencrust. In fact, other businesses have joined in to help.

The Cozza's and the Martin's are appreciative of everyone who continues to support them through takeout. They will continue to pray and support their community and cross their fingers that this is all over with soon, not just for the sake of the business but for the people around the world to be healthy, to not have to live in fear. This beautiful, new quaint restaurant will rise again, and when they do - make it a point to visit and show them that you appreciate that they care! And order a specialty pizza while you're there. You won't be disappointed!

"Integrity is choosing your thoughts and actions based on values rather than personal gain." --unknown This is what this business has done. Let's show them some love back.