Our Story
CT Liquor Permit was founded by my mother, Marilyn Abbazia Lodato. She led a remarkable life, and she built a standout career: from a conscientious student to one the state’s foremost experts in liquor permits. As a teenager, she was recruited to work for legendary lawyer E. Gaynor Brennan Jr. by then-junior associate Dan McCabe, who was impressed by her shorthand and typing skills. In the era before fax machines, Marilyn served as the firm’s “runner,” submitting documents and obtaining signatures expeditiously. She immersed herself in an environment of accomplished attorneys and absorbed their insights.
Brennan's father, E. Gaynor Brennan Sr., served as state legislator in the 1930s and chairman of the Liquor Control Commission in the early 1940s, later founding a longstanding law firm on Bedford Street in Stamford. When his son took the helm, the firm developed a proficiency in liquor permit applications. My mother—a precocious secretary turned paralegal—took notice, learning the ins and outs of the process. After Brennan’s passing in 2011, she started her own consultancy, helping restaurants, bars, and package stores get approved as quickly as possible.
After my mother’s passing in 2022, I inherited not only her business but a responsibility to do right by her clients. Relying on her institutional knowledge, I shepherd liquor permit applications from start to finish and demystify the process for aspiring business owners and restaurateurs. Continuing her legacy, I am now modernizing the practice of liquor consulting by cataloguing optimizations and building databases that help save clients time and money as they launch their next project.
We know what it’s like to start a new venture. That’s why we’re specialists: we focus on the licensing, so you can focus on your business. I thank you for visiting our page, and I encourage you to reach out so we can show you how we gained our reputation for excellence in our niche.
Sincerely,
Michael
Team
Michael Abbazia Lodato
Principal Consultant
Michael developed his analytical skills by studying philosophy, earning a bachelor’s degree from Holy Cross and a master’s degree from Indiana University Bloomington, where he taught logic for three years. As a student, he spent his summers as an assistant for his mother’s business, securing sign-offs and scrutinizing floorplans, which resulted in a deep familiarity with liquor permit logistics. Having begun his career as an educator, Michael is able to clarify even the densest bureaucratic systems, keeping his clients informed and empowered to make the best decisions for their businesses.
Julie Lodato McCormick
Strategic Advisor
An industry insider, Julie is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and former executive sous chef for Jones Family Farms in Shelton. Early in her career, she worked as a server for Hudson Social in Stamford and as a chef for the Omni Hotel in Orlando. She later served as a sales representative for Vias Imports, where she developed an expertise in international wines and hosted tastings everywhere from local liquor stores to Mohegan Sun. Her knowledge of alcohol service spans from everyday operations to high-concept brand strategy, providing our clients with a birds-eye view that’s hard to come by anywhere else.