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Business phone system for drinking places in Connecticut

243 drinking places operated in Connecticut in 2023. Where they are, how big their teams are, and what phone service costs them.

Establishments
243CBP 2023
Employees
2,491mid-March 2023
Per 100k residents
6.6U.S. 12.0
State rank
37th of 51by count

How many drinking places operate in Connecticut

Connecticut had 243 drinking places in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns (NAICS 722410, Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)). They employed 2,491 people in mid-March and reported $57.2 million in annual payroll. That is the 37th highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. Drinking places make up 0.27% of the 89,234 business establishments in the state.

Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) Connecticut has 6.6 drinking places, 44.9% below the national rate of 12.0. The average establishment has 10.3 employees against 10.6 nationally. Payroll per employee is $22,947, 10.4% below the U.S. figure of $25,612.

Drinking places: Connecticut compared with the U.S., 2023
MeasureConnecticutUnited States
Establishments24340,835
Mid-March employees2,491432,542
Annual payroll$57,162,000$11,078,437,000
Employees per establishment10.310.6
Payroll per employee$22,947$25,612
Establishments per 100,000 residents6.612.0

Census County Business Patterns 2023 (mid-March employment; annual payroll). Employees and payroll flagged high-noise are shown but not used in the text. Residents: Census Vintage 2024 estimates.

Drinking places by metro area in Connecticut

Census published bar counts for 7 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of Connecticut. The largest is Hartford, CT, with 81 establishments. Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 100% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.

Drinking places by metro or micropolitan area, Connecticut, 2023
AreaEstablishmentsEmployeesPer 100k residents
Hartford, CT818736.9
New Haven, CT515578.8
Waterbury, CT433059.3
Bridgeport, CT393304.0
Norwich, CT193506.7
Torrington, CT6475.3
Putnam, CT4294.1

Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023; population from Census Vintage 2024 estimates.

Team sizes at drinking places in Connecticut

41.2% of Connecticut's drinking places with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 38.7% nationally. 68.3% had fewer than ten. That is the size of team where a missed call usually means nobody was free, not that nobody was on staff.

Drinking places in Connecticut by employment size, 2023
Employment sizeEstablishmentsShareU.S. share
1–4 employees10041.2%38.7%
5–9 employees6627.2%27.4%
10–19 employees3916.0%20.1%
20–49 employees3213.2%11.3%
50 or more employees62.5%2.4%

Employment-size classes count establishments by mid-March 2023 employment. Establishments with no March employees are excluded from the size classes, so shares are of establishments with employees. Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023.

What drinking places in Connecticut use the phone for

Bars and taverns take calls about events, private parties and hours, often when the room is too loud to hear the phone. Capturing those calls helps book parties.

Typical inbound and outbound calls for drinking places in Connecticut:

When nobody can pick up

Bars are open late, so calls during service need capture and callback.

Callata voicemail is transcribed and triaged for urgency, and business-hours routing decides where calls go once you close.

Phone system pricing for a 10-person bar

Drinking places in Connecticut average 10.3 employees, so the comparison uses a 10-person team. On a per-user plan that headcount sets the bill: $249.50 a month on Ooma Office Pro or $300.00 on RingCentral RingEX Core at list price (checked September 28, 2026). On Callata the same 10 people cost $199.00 a month, less than either per-seat plan.

The annual difference against RingCentral's monthly list price comes to $1,212. Some vendors discount annual contracts; the table shows month-to-month prices.

Monthly list price for a 10-person bar
Provider (plan)Pricing basisPer monthPer year
Callata (Callata Office)$99 incl. 5 users, $20 per extra user$199.00$2,388.00
Quo (Starter)$19.00 per user$190.00$2,280.00
Nextiva (Core)$23.00 per user$230.00$2,760.00
Ooma (Office Pro)$24.95 per user$249.50$2,994.00
Dialpad (Standard)$27.00 per user$270.00$3,240.00
RingCentral (RingEX Core)$30.00 per user$300.00$3,600.00

Competitor prices are each vendor's published month-to-month list price per user for its lowest plan that includes business calling and texting, checked September 28, 2026: Quo Starter $19, Nextiva Core $23, Ooma Office Pro $24.95 (Essentials excludes texting; one-time $29.95 activation not included), Dialpad Standard $27, RingCentral RingEX Core $30 ($20 billed annually). Prices exclude taxes and fees and may change; annual contracts lower some competitors' prices.

Area codes in Connecticut

Connecticut has 4 geographic area codes in service according to NANPA. You can choose local numbers in the area codes your guests know, subject to carrier inventory, or port your current number for free.

Area codes in Connecticut by assigned exchanges
Area codeExchangesTime zoneIn service sinceOverlay with
203784Eastern1947475
860782Eastern1995959
475291Eastern2009203
959163Eastern2014860

Exchanges are NANPA-assigned central office codes (NPA-NXX) in the rate centers matched to the area's named places. Source: NANPA utilized code and NPA reports.

How Callata works for drinking places in Connecticut

For $99 a month, Callata puts a team of up to 5 on one plan ($20 for each person after that): up to 3 local numbers, unlimited inbound calls, a pooled allowance of 1,500 outbound US and Canada minutes per user, browser and cell calling, voicemail transcription with urgency triage, recorded calls with AI summaries and business-hours routing, with E911 on every number.

If you already have a number in Connecticut, porting it to Callata is free. Texting from a local number requires a one-time carrier registration (10DLC, $49), and the numbers available in any area code depend on carrier inventory when you choose them.

Optional AI agents (receptionist, sales, support or scheduler) can answer calls after hours or when nobody picks up, take messages, text, email and transfer to your team. They are billed from prepaid AI minutes at $0.25 per minute, identify themselves as AI, and may only place outbound calls to people who consented, between 8am and 9pm.

Frequently asked questions

How many drinking places are in Connecticut?

243 in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns. They employed 2,491 people in mid-March.

Which Connecticut metro area has the most drinking places?

Hartford, CT, with 81 establishments in 2023.

What does a phone system cost a 10-person bar?

$300.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core or $249.50 on Ooma Office Pro at month-to-month list prices (checked September 28, 2026); $199.00 on Callata ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user).

Do I need to register to text customers from a Connecticut number?

Yes. US carriers require business texting from local numbers to be registered (10DLC). On Callata the registration is a one-time $49 fee, and texting turns on once it is approved.