When you walk into the Red Stone Pub, you know why all in the Farmington Valley of Connecticut hold it in such high regard. Red Stone is a throwback in every sense to the days of small, homey restaurants nestled in the center of small towns. The small Simsbury, Conn., pub, with Talcott Mountain providing a pretty backdrop for those who decide to sit on the patio outside, has a family-friendly feel to it, right down to the warm welcome you receive from either Ted Weiman, one of the restaurant’s owners, or his wife, Kristen.
They walk you to one of the booths on the left side of the pub, a stool at the bar or to a seat in the cozy, adjacent room. In the main room, a long bar stretches across the room behind which Weiman’s wife is often conversing with the locals while they enjoy beer, both foreign and domestically brewed. The pub has two sandwiches — roast beef and turkey — which are their signature items and, when they first opened, their only options. Your meal is brought out with a bag of chips and a Styrofoam container of whatever condiment you wish to put on your sandwich. When you’ve finished and are walking past the bar toward the door, one of the Weimans will call out to you from behind the bar, wishing you well and giving you another reason to return soon.
Weiman, a native of Windsor, Conn., and a graduate of Elon University '01, went to Windsor High School, where he was a standout on the soccer and golf teams. As team captain, Weiman led his golf team to the state tournament in both his junior and senior seasons, earning All-State honors both years.
He then looked to go south for college, where he could enjoy warm weather and year-round golf. He ended up at Elon, which his parents, Claudia and Carlton, said was the perfect fit for their son.
“We had heard of Elon from friends in Windsor and researched Elon and thought it was a great fit for Ted,” the Weimans said. “Ted wanted to go to school in the South and liked the courses that Elon offered. We visited Elon and liked it very much.”
Weiman was initially unsure of what direction he wanted to go in and therefore spent his first semester at Elon without a major. Like many college students undecided on their future endeavors, Weiman found his way.
“I knew I wanted to study business but I wasn’t sure of my major until second semester freshman year,” Weiman said. “I chose economics.”
Weiman graduated with a degree in economics and decided to look for work back in his home state. He moved back to Connecticut and worked as an assistant golf pro at Wethersfield Country Club in Wethersfield, Conn. He met his business partner, Marc Lubetkin, soon after. Weiman had always had an interest in business and craft beers, so when Lubetkin, a chef, floated the idea of being partners and opening a pub in Simsbury, Conn., Weiman jumped on it.
He met his wife “at a bar and concert venue in Middletown, Conn.” When Weiman opened his restaurant with the Lubetkins, his wife, a physical therapist by day, also became part of her husband’s business, working as a waitress and bartender a few nights a week.
Weiman opening a restaurant came as a surprise to his parents, but they had always known of his desire to run a successful business, so they supported his venture into the service industry.
“We were surprised and very happy,” the Weimans said. “Ted had always wanted to have his own business and talked about having a restaurant. We thought the pub would be a great opportunity for him.”
Opening a restaurant does not come without its problems, but Weiman and his partners were fortunate enough to avoid the most pressing of obstacles.
“We have a great team of partners and investors which worked together to get the Red Stone open,” Weiman said. “There are always challenges in opening any small business but we have been lucky enough to overcome most of them.”
Weiman is able to balance his time at the pub with his work to become a real estate appraiser, something he admitted is difficult, but important, especially with a second Connecticut restaurant opening soon.
Overall, Weiman said his greatest joy is to see his customers enjoying themselves.
“The coolest part is seeing people having a great time on a packed Friday night and thinking back to the construction we did ourselves to transform an office space into a pub,” he said. “[It’s a] much better use of space, in my opinion.”