Mackensie Judge – HQ Press

Quinnipiac University cancels annual dance marathon

By Mackensie Judge

Quinnipiac’s annual dance marathon QTHON has been cancelled due to the coronavirus. Students will still be raising money throughout the rest of the semester with hopes that there will be a virtual dance marathon in April.

“We want to do a virtual dance marathon to celebrate everyone that was involved to make this year successful,” said senior Rachel Taylor. “In addition, we want to reveal our total for the year.”

QTHON is a yearlong fundraiser that Quinnipiac University participates in each year. Members of the Quinnipiac community dance for 10 hours to raise money and awareness for Connecticut Children’s.

Last year 1,700 dancers raised more than $332,000, bringing the students’ eight-year total to more than one million.

At the end of a long 10 hour day hearing the total amount of money that was raised is a humbling moment for students.

2017’s QTHON event. Photo courtesy of the QTHON Facebook page.

“My proudest moment is to stand in the gym while we, as fellow bobcats, hold hands and the kids cut off our hospital bracelets,” said senior Kerry Golden. “Seeing our total at the end of the night and knowing it will help save these kids, there are truly no words to describe that feeling.”

Not only do the kids look forward to this every year, but so do the students.

“QTHON is something that is much bigger than myself,” said Golden. “It means the absolute world to bring the kids into our gym and out of the hospital.”

Students spend the whole year fundraising for this event and to have it cancelled is leaving many of them disappointed.

“Not having QTHON is heartbreaking,” said Golden. “It is something myself, and other students, look forward to each year. I start fundraising as soon as QTHON ends.”

Students, parents and the kids understand why the decision to cancel was reached.

“I know that it is in the best interest of the kids and their families,” said Golden. “We don’t want to expose each other so we can all be safe.”

Golden is even looking for the hidden message around all of this.

“QTHON is all about fighting,” said Golden. “We dance and raise money so these kids can fight childhood illness. Right now we all have to work together to fight the virus.”

Everyone is hopeful that we will take this heartbreaking news and turn it into something better next year.

“I think not having QTHON this year will really light a fire for next year,” said Golden. “I know that next year we will rise as a community and will always keep dancing for the kids despite the circumstances.”

Hopefully students are ready to light that fire if QTHON goes virtual in April as well as prepare for next year’s dance marathon.

B&D Deli Works replacement, Funcles, set to open in April

Funcles Cafe will be the new establishment replacing B&D Deli on Whitney Ave. in Hamden. The Cafe is set to open this April.

Dan Jablon, a kitchen manager in Milford, is set to open up his new restaurant, Funcles Cafe, in April. The restaurant will replace B&D Deli Works, which was a popular deli in Hamden for several years. — Dan Jablon, a kitchen manager in Milford, is set to open up his new restaurant, Funcles Cafe, in April.

The restaurant will replace B&D Deli Works, which was a popular deli in Hamden for several years.

Dan Jablon, co-owner of Funcles currently works as a kitchen manager at Bowlero in Milford. Jablon does catering for the parties and manages the employees. He believes this experience will help him manage Funcles as well.

“I’ve been around food my whole life,” Jablon said. “I’m looking forward to doing something for myself that is more upscale and has a smaller menu.”

The move from Milford into Hamden to begin his own business was an easy decision for Jablon.

“The first day I came to check out the place so many people came to the door,” Jablon said. “There is so much foot traffic on Whitney Ave with people constantly coming in and out.”

Denis Marukovich, the other owner of Funcles is a head chef at Tarry Lodge in New Haven. Marukovich is familiar with upscale dining from managing the kitchen, but he has similar thoughts as his partner about the transition to Funcles.

“I’ve been cooking for a while and creating menus,” Marukovich said. The only difference is, I’m doing it for myself now, not somebody else.”

Jablon explained that the name “Funcles” came from a childhood nickname for the funniest person he knows, his uncle Keith. It also sets the tone for the type of atmosphere Jablon hopes to create.

“I have a lot of resources and I’m super grateful for my family,” Jablon said. “I want to be able to create a family vibe for people here.”

The biggest change Jablon explains is going to be the menu. It will be smaller and a third of it will consist of specials.

“We will have those typical items your older crowd would order,” Jablon said. “As well as things like a pickled chicken sandwich for the newer and younger crowd.”

A few things you can expect to see on the menu every day are a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich, breakfast burrito and a waffle omelet.

“Everything is going to be made in house,” said Jablon. “We will also have a section of grab and go foods so people can get in and out quickly in the morning.”

Additionally, Jablon and Marukovich will be offering CBD for their coffee and shakes.

“This is us in a nutshell,” Jablon said. “We are trying to be new and different. It turns heads just like our name.”

A look at the kitchen of the upcoming Funcles Cafe.

The freshness of the food and the cleanliness of the place is something that Jablon and Marukovich say they will focus on.

“I like everything clean,” said Jablon. “Even if it’s just an unfolded towel I will immediately fold it.”

Currently, the staff consists of Marukovich, Jablon, his friend Nick Simiola and two other people. Simiola will be Jablon’s front end person and work the register.

“I want to keep it small,” Jablon said. “That way, you know it’s people who want to help you out.”

Simiola is grateful for the opportunity and excited for his friend.

“When I found out Dan had the opportunity to open up a restaurant in Hamden I wanted to do anything I could to help,” Simiola said. “This place can be a gold mine if you know what you are doing.”

Knowing what to do and working together does not seem like it will be a problem for Jablon and Marukovich.

“I’ve known Dan for a while,” Marukovich said. “We have never had the pleasure of working together, but there’s a lot of trust between us.”

Funcles will be open Monday-Saturday from 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with fresh food and ready to go meals.

B&D Deli closes after six years

HAMDEN- B&D Deli Works, which has been known for serving Quinnipiac students and Hamden locals for six years, officially closed down on Dec. 21, 2019.

B&D first opened in August of 2013 and was owned by Amy Brejwo. The name came from Brejwo’s two sons, Ben and Dan. Brejwo spent many days and nights building the diner from the ground up, but she was very family oriented and had to step away from the business when it began to take up a lot of her family time.

Mark Mashaw, a resident of South Hamden, was a school teacher at the time Brejwo was looking for someone to take over the deli.

“I was a teacher for 18 years and I was looking for something new,” said Mashaw. “I had always wanted to be my own boss.”

In September of 2018, Mashaw became the new manager of B&D.

“Amy was a super human that could do more in one day than three people,” said Mashaw. “Whatever she had done worked so well, so I wanted to continue to do that.”

It didn’t take long for things to go south once Mashaw took over.

“Amy had created so much volume that everyday people were out the door,” said Mashaw. “Without Amy on the grill and giving directions, we could not keep up with the demand.”

Mashaw was exhausted from the beginning and they quickly lost a lot of regulars within the first few months. Most people that had worked for Brejwo had moved on to other things not long after she left.

Mashaw quickly found himself being very new to the job and having a whole set of new employees as well.

*Outdoor dining option at B&D | Photo by Mackensie Judge*

“We eventually found our own equilibrium, but at that point I was so in debt and could not pay any of my bills,” said Mashaw. “It was too late.”

Mashaw learned a lot of lessons through this experience that he will take with him going forward.

“I wanted to be my own boss for so long,” said Mashaw,” but what I didn’t think through was how hard it is being everyone else’s as well.”

The closing of B&D came as a shock to most students leaving them questioning if there was anything they could have done to help.

“My friends and I would go every weekend,” said senior Leanna Daniels. “Saturday mornings will never be the same. We should have done more to help such a great business with the nicest people.”

Others will miss the family oriented atmosphere and the delicious sandwiches, especially the most popular sandwich, the Randwich.

“Throughout my five years of attending Quinnipiac, B&D was one of my top places to go for food,” said graduate student Christian Casagranda. “Everything was fresh and made with care, which is something you don’t find too often around here.”

B&D has been bought by two men, Dennis and Dan and will soon be called Funcle’s. It will still remain a diner that serves breakfast and lunch, but it will be more upscale food.

As for Mashaw, he plans on taking the lessons he’s learned back to the classroom in the fall. In the meantime he is catching up on his housework and reading, but he is hopeful that Funcle’s will be the new successful business in the area.