Restaurant, more concerts coming to historic venue

By Avice Meehan

When Dave Rosenfeld walked onto the starlit stage at Infinity Hall, many of the more than 200 people gathered to hear what he had to say, were unsure about what to expect. The co-founder of GoodWorks Entertainment, which acquired the green Victorian gem of a building in 2019, began with a lengthy story about the company’s founding.

Where was this headed? It turns out, in a positive direction. Rosenfeld, who lives in Fairfield, used the history lesson to explain why the company’s attention (and his) would now focus on Norfolk and Infinity to an engaged audience on May 14.

GoodWorks plans to revive the Infinity Bistro, expand the number of concerts to as many as 80 each year and actively promote opportunities to rent the space, including in the offseason. Rosenfeld is also looking to partner with the Yale School of Music for programming beginning in 2027.

“I was pleasantly surprised and very much appreciated the interest from the community,” Rosenfeld said several days after the meeting. Attendees included avid Infinity fans who purchased venue memberships, town officials, curious bystanders from every corner of Norfolk, and fellow business owners.

The restaurant, which would operate under a different format, could open as early as mid-June, on a Wednesday to Sunday schedule. Rosenfeld said that all but one of the stations in the kitchen had been tested and that GoodWorks had the necessary permits in hand. General Manager Lisa Ludwig is working to recruit a chef and restaurant staff and will remain in her current role. Ludwig also runs a custom bakery business in Winsted called LisaBeth Confections.

“We are going to do our best,” Rosenfeld told the crowd, before everyone adjourned for an abundant buffet and a cash bar. He said Infinity would need the ongoing support of Norfolk residents—as both restaurant patrons and concert goers—and threw out ideas of what might unfold in the future, including community-focused events and a wider variety of performers.

The response, among avid Infinity fans and the casual observers alike, was generally positive—although many expressed a wait and see attitude. “I was both surprised and pleased by the turnout,” said one community leader. I’m glad David is being responsive. Now he has to deliver!”

The conversations that sparked new thinking about Infinity Hall began at a holiday party and accelerated with the Jan. 31 closing of the Norfolk Pub, located in the nearby Royal Arcanum building. Rosenfeld, who provided a detailed picture of the financial challenges behind running Infinity Hall, said the closure lowered the risk of running a restaurant.

“As soon as we heard they were closing, we said we’re reopening. It took [away] some of the risk,” Rosenfeld said. But he and Ludwig were clear: this will not be the Infinity Bistro of old with an expansive menu and wait staff taking orders. Their reasoning, questioned by some in the room, was simple. On concert nights, several hundred restaurant patrons need to be accommodated in a short period of time, and they needed to find ways to streamline dinner service.

The more limited menu will be “casual fare but upscale” and service will be built around online ordering through the Toast digital platform. Takeout will be available for anyone who wants to eat on the balcony—a good four flights away from the kitchen—and concert patrons will be able to order drinks for pick up at intermission. “We want to start small and get it right,” said Ludwig, noting that some menu favorites might reappear over time.

Rosenfeld admitted that Norfolk had not always been a major focus for GoodWorks. With a larger venue in Hartford and the decision to take over a successful community festival in Rhode Island, GoodWorks also attempted to organize and market festivals in Hartford and Bridgeport. Those have not been financially successful. That got Rosenfeld and his partners thinking about Norfolk and what it might take to “reactivate” Infinity Hall, which had been relatively quiet since the Covid 19 pandemic.

A community festival—Norfolk style—might be in the offing, however. Rosenfeld described the variety of spaces and venues, including Robertson Plaza and the Yale campus as creating “a place where this might get done.” In the meantime, instead of unanswered queries and a darkened hall, expect more activity, some advertising and promotion of Infinity itself. “This building is very expensive to run,” Rosenfeld told the audience. “It is important to have rental revenue and we will be competitive. We want to activate the room.”