Women’s History Month has been enlightening in so many ways this year! A few articles published right here in the Stratford Crier are reminders of how incredible women are – especially local women like Orna Rawls, who co-founded the series What She Said; the women in Stratford’s history as noted in Town Historian David Wright’s Stratford’s Women Aren’t Shy; and businesswoman Peggy, who is Living Out Her Dream . We have an incredible community of women in Stratford – pushing boundaries, living their dreams, and supporting other women along the way.
For Women’s History Month, we are highlighting women business owners like Krishna Desai, co-owner of Wayback Burgers. An entrepreneur since the age of 18 when she opened her first business in her local mall, Krishna knows how to run a business. She said, “I’ve been a business owner for over 30 years. My husband and I have been working together since around 2000, so it’s been more than two decades of building businesses together.”
As you may have noticed, a little restaurant at the intersection of Barnum Avenue and Main Street which formerly was Jake’s Wayback Burger is now Wayback Burgers, opened earlier this month with new owners, the Desai husband and wife duo. “My husband builds the stores, I build the business inside them. And as a woman in business, I’ve learned you don’t need permission to succeed, just the courage to start and the resilience to keep going,” says Krishna.
Not long after she and her husband met, they went into business at full speed. They bought a Subway franchise and expanded to 15 locations. Once COVID hit, the pair decided to branch outside of the Subway franchise. Given the company’s change in brand ,the Desai’s decided to explore other business opportunities. They are happy with their new business here in Stratford.
After being in conversation for more than 20 years with the Wayback Burgers brand, they opened their first restaurant in Monroe in 2024. “Our goal is to become a staple in the Stratford community. A place people can rely on for great food and a great experience. We’ve brought new energy, new ownership, and a strong operational focus to this location, and we’re excited to build something long-term here,” Krishna said.
Stratford is home to hundreds of businesses, small and large, co-owned, and solo owned, and everything in between. In my conversation with Krishna, I asked her what kind of support she’d like to see, as a small business owner in Stratford. She said, “I’d love to see continued local support, whether that’s streamlined license processes, marketing support, or initiatives that encourage people to shop local. Small businesses truly are the backbone of the community.”
And as a mom, her children get to see how their parents’ hard work (and especially their mom’s in this Women’s History Month) impacts her employees, her business, her community, and her family. She said of her kids, “It’s taught them the value of hard work, resilience, and adaptability. They’ve seen that success takes consistency and that setbacks are just part of the journey, not the end of it.”
If you missed their grand opening, you may have missed their special buy one classic burger, get one classic burger for free, but don’t fear. You have plenty of opportunities to eat your way through their menu. They are open 7 days a week from 10:30am-9:30pm (9pm on Sundays).
