The Barstool Fund - Captain Daniel Packer Inne
Up next: Captain Daniel Packer Inne (Mystic, CT)
The Captain Daniel Packer Inne was built on the Mystic River over 250 years ago. Captain Daniel Packer completed construction of the building bordering Water Street in 1756. Today, the owners invite travelers to experience the hospitality that guests received long ago.
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The Captain Daniel Packer Inne, known by locals as the “DPI”, is a family owned 150 seat restaurant with 45 employees, located in Historic downtown Mystic, CT.
In 1979, my father and mother, Richard and Lulu Kiley, found an old Inne originally built in 1754. It was in poor shape to say the least. My parents had a vision to make this a historic restaurant. Over the next 4 years, my father rebuilt this old Inne with his own hands! With little money, our family lived on the 3rd floor of the newly opened restaurant and pub. I remember as a child wanting to help my parents succeed. At age 6 I thought the diners would enjoy dinner and a show, so I proceeded to roller skate through the dining room. As soon as the restaurant became established, my parents knew they could no longer raise the family above the restaurant. The upstairs, now converted to dining rooms, are known by my sibling’s names for the rooms which were theirs.
My father always ran the DPI as a place where locals would gather and we continue to keep that vibe. Sadly, in 2001 my father passed away unexpectedly. I returned from college at 23 years old to help my mother run the family business. In 2005, I became the General Manager and have been successfully operating it since.
It breaks my heart to tell staff members, who are more like family, that we’re not busy enough for them to come in for a shift. The shutdowns, reduced capacity, and keeping staff employed has been incredibly challenging. Each day we are open costs us money. Despite being at half capacity, some bills like electric, insurance, dues and fees have not decreased. We make hard decisions daily and many phone calls with our vendors to accept minimal payment, trying to hold on until things return to normal.
We are in desperate need of a lifeline to keep our family business as a Mystic institution.
Thank you for your time and consideration in our time of need.
Sincerely,
Allison Kiley Nasin
General Manager, Capt. Daniel Packer Inne