Maru 67 has set their opening date for their new conveyor belt AYCE sushi restaurant. The new sushi restaurant will open on January 30th! The restaurant will be located at 320 Center Rock Green in Oxford; the former Tea with Tracy restaurant space in Quarry Walk!

Check out the video (from Food of CT) on the conveyor belt system below!

The restaurant will feature AYCE sushi along with a rotating conveyor belt carrying a large variety of sushi around the restaurant! Guests can pick the type of sushi they want from the conveyor belt. Prices are $26 for lunch (11:00am-4pm) and $35 for dinner (4pm-close).

The restaurant will also serve sashimi and a variety of Japanese dishes. With fresh ingredients, expert craftsmanship, and a comfortable dining atmosphere, Maru 67 provides the ultimate Japanese dining experience.

The restaurant will be open:
Mon-Thur 11am-9:30pm
Fri-Sat 11am-10:30pm
Sun 12pm-9:30pm
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Find them at 320 Center Rock Green in Oxford or online at https://www.maru67.com/

Hyde's Home & Farm has announced the closing and liquidation of its store at 217 Otrobando Avenue in Norwich.

The store will be liquidating all their inventory and assets. Take advantage of big savings storewide including shelving, products, forklift, tractors, and other store items. Discounts vary based on the product. Sales range from 10-75% off.
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The store opened in 2022, replacing an Agway store that occupied the site before. An exact closing date was not immediately available.

CVS Pharmacy will be closing two Hartford locations, including their lone location in Downtown Hartford. The news of the closures has been confirmed with CVS corporate.

CVS has made the difficult decision to close their locations at 777 Main Street and their location at 690 Wethersfield Avenue in Hartford. The location at 777 Main Street is the anchor tenant for the ground level retail spaces.

The CVS location at 690 Wethersfield Avenue will permanently close on February 21st with prescription transferred to the nearby 908-910 Maple Avenue location.

The CVS location at 777 Main Street will permanently close on March 11th with prescription transferred to the location at 150 Washington Street.
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All colleagues are being offered comparable roles within the company at other stores. These are the only CVS closures planned for Connecticut at this time. The 3 other locations in Hartford will remain open including 150 Washington Street, 479 Blue Hills Avenue and 908-910 Maple Avenue.

The Laurel is NOW OPEN in West Hartford!

The restaurant is a new concept from Ashley Flagg, former Executive Chef at the Millwright's in Simsbury. The Laurel replaces the pug-themed Corner Pug space at 1046 New Britain Avenue in the Elmwood section of West Hartford.

The Laurel describes itself as "An exploration of global cuisines, utilizing locally sourced ingredients. Our food and bevergae menus are forever evolving, always unique, and designed to be shared."

The menu doesn't have a specific nationality; its broken up into 4 sections including Chilled, Vegetable, Seafood, and Meat. The menu has vegetarian and vegan options. Find their full menu here: https://www.thelaurelrestaurantandbar.com/

Check out a full write up and review from our friends at We-Ha.com here: https://we-ha.com/the-laurel-brings-unique-globally...

Find them at: 1046 New Britain Avenue, West Hartford, CT
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The restaurant is open:
Monday 5pm-10pm
Thursday 5pm-10pm
Friday thru Saturday 5pm-11pm
Sunday 5pm-9pm
Closed Tuesday & Wednesday

Dave's Hot Chicken will officially open its doors today in Milford, marking the chain's first Connecticut location!

The new Nashville hot chicken restaurant is located at 1611 Boston Post Road in Milford, part of Milford Square, a shopping plaza home to REI, Sleep Number, Panera, Jersey Mike’s, and others.

Dave's Hot Chicken is a fast-casual Nashville-style hot chicken restaurant serving chicken sandwiches, tenders, sliders, fries, and more. The spice level is on a scale from no spice up to reaper level.

The chain has locations planned across Connecticut including in Newington, Southington, Stamford, and many others. The franchisee for New Haven, Rackson Restuarants, has signed on to bring 8 locations to New Haven/Fairfield area; while John Coughlin has signed on to bring 4 locations to the Greater Hartford area.

Find them at 1611 Boston Post Road, Milford, CT

The restaurant is open daily from 11am-11pm.
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Lots of Milford news this week!

Total Wine & More is coming soon to Candlewood Plaza Shopping Center in Brookfield!

The wine-beer-alcohol superstore will be located in a portion of the former Bed Bath & Beyond space. Total Wine will occupy around 25,359 square feet, leaving 19,000 square feet for another tenant.

The new store has filed for building permits with the town and is anticipated to begin construction soon with an opening in fall 2025. The new liquor store will feature an expansive collection of wine, beer, and spirits along with a Wine Education Room, Cigar Humidor, and tasting area.
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This is the most recent major addition to the shopping center since Big Y Supermarket opened last year in the space originally planned for Amazon Fresh. Total Wine currently has 4 Connecticut locations including Milford, Manchester, West Hartford, and Norwalk.

DORO Restaurant Group's latest restaurant is now under construction in Wethersfield!

No Mames Mexican Cantina is coming soon to 1140 Silas Deane Highway in Wethersfield. The restaurant will occupy the former Pasta Vita space in the plaza with Homegoods and Pet Supplies Plus. The restaurant will be focused on authentic Mexican cuisine and plans to open in early 2025!

You can follow along with their progress on their new Instagram page here:
https://www.instagram.com/nomamesmexicancantina and online at https://www.nomamesmexicancantina.com/

The new restaurant recently held a kitchen takeover of their sister restaurant, Zohara in West Hartford. The event was sold out and deemed a success!
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DORO Restaurant Group has also leased the former BevMax space in the plaza with plans for a new commissary bakery. The new commissary will help fuel further growth of their restaurant empire. DORO operate the new Casadoro Ristorante & Bar, Avert, Treva, DORO Marketplace, Artisanal Burger Company, and Zohara restaurants.

Have you had a chance to try the new Yemerica Coffee in West Hartford? I stopped by on Monday for a coffee after getting rid of the snow.

The coffee shop is beautiful on the inside, the upscale furnishing and lighting make the space feel warm and inviting. The space has plenty of seating to relax and enjoy the atmosphere. The coffee shop has a private space that can be reserved as well.

The menu consists of typical coffee options like Americano, pour over, matcha, cortado, cappuccino, refreshers, and more. The menu also has a number of Yemeni coffee options like Royal Arabic Coffee, Aryasi, Adani chai, Mofowar, Qisher, Baidhani, and Moroccan Tea. They has a selection of baked goods and food. Check out their full menu here: https://www.yemericacoffee.com/menu

Read more about this business from our friends at We-Ha.com here: https://we-ha.com/yemerica-brings-unique-coffee-shop.../

Make sure you give them a try. Find them at 1000 Farmington Ave, Suite 100, in West Hartford!
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The coffee house is open 7am-11pm everyday!

DinerLuxe has officially reopened in New Milford!

The retro diner recently reopened their diner under the original ownership! The diner is located at 108 Danbury Road in New Milford.

The diner was originally opened in 2014 under the ownership of the Serroukas family. The family sold it in 2019 and its closed in 2022. The Serroukas family bought the business back last year and has reopened it with a revamped menu!

The menu consists of all day breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Items on the menu include waffles, pancakes, soups, salads, sandwiches, burgers, fajitas, pastas, seafood, steaks, and much more. Check out their new menu here:
https://dinerluxe.com/.../uploads/2024/12/PROOF122024_2.pdf

Check them out at 108 Danbury Road in New Milford.
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The restaurant is open daily from 6am-11pm.

​Tropical Smoothie Cafe is coming soon to Bristol!

The smoothie shop will be located at 123 Farmington Avenue in Bristol, the long-vacant Family Haircut space at Bristol Commons! The eatery will occupy the space between AT&T and Bite & Tea.

Tropical Smoothie Cafe is a chain of smoothie shops across the United States. The shop sells various smoothies, acai bowls, wraps, salads, flatbreads, sandwiches, and quesadillas. See their full menu here: https://www.tropicalsmoothiecafe.com/menu/

No timeline has been announced for the shops opening. The smoothie shop will join the new Hibachi Buffet that will open next month. Stay tuned on our page for an opening announcement for the Hibachi Buffet!
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Tropical Smoothie Cafe has 1,500 locations throughout the United States. They currently have 3 locations in Connecticut including Newington, New Haven, and Milford. They are in negotiations to open a new location in South Windsor as well.

​Max’s Place, a shopping plaza in Old Saybrook, is preparing for an expansion. The plaza is currently home to Kohl’s, Big Y, Ulta, and others.

Max’s Place plans to expand their footprint, adding 4 new buildings including 2 multi-tenant strip centers, 1 drive-thru coffee shop, and 1 bank. Three tenants have signed onto the project including Chipotle, Starbucks, and Chase Bank.

-Chipotle will occupy an end cap of one of the multi-tenant building. Initially Chipotle planned a free standing location with a drive thru, this was recently dropped.

-Starbucks will be in a free standing building with a drive thru, patio, and interior dining room.

-Chase Bank will be located in a free standing building with a drive-up bank service.

No timeline for construction has been announced. Take a look at the renderings of the new buildings from Colliers Engineering & Design.

Did you know Connecticut has a Scandinavian Gift Shop?

The Scandinavian Gift Shop is a village of small stores located at 149 Rockville Road in the Broad Brook section of East Windsor. The complex is comprised of the Main Shop, The Greenhouse, and the Bok Stuga.

-The Scandinavian Gift Shop in the main building sells home decor, candy, dishes, products from local artisans, food, imported Scandinavian products, and much more.

-The Greenhouse sells vintage items including second hand home decor, dishes, and other quality items from the area.

-The Bok Stuga sells children’s toys, clothing, books, along with stationery, cards, cookbooks, and many other products from local sellers.

The gift shop is a great place to find gifts for any occasion, or just to try new products from the Scandinavian region. A great unique offering set in a beautifully picturesque area of Broad Brook. Definitely worth the time to check it out.

Find them at 149 Rockville Road in Broad Brook, on the Ellington/South Windsor townline.
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The shop is open:
Wednesday thru Friday 11am-5pm
Saturday thru Sunday 11am-4pm
Closed Monday & Tuesday

Warby Parker is officially opening its doors at The Shops at Farmington Valley on Saturday, January 25, 2025, bringing stylish and modern eye care to the heart of the Farmington Valley! The new location will be located in the old Cold Water Creek space (next to Golf Lounge 18) in the outdoor mall.

The brand-new Canton location will also be offering affordable, holistic eye care, including comprehensive eye exams and telehealth services to the heart of Farmington Valley.

To celebrate, Warby Parker is hosting an exciting grand opening event on Saturday, January 25, 2025 from 11AM - 7PM packed with exclusive offerings and activities including:

● Raffle Prizes You’ll Love: Enter for a chance to win a $145 Warby Parker gift card and a day on the slopes with four lift passes to Ski Sundown! Guests can enter the raffle inside the store via a QR code and earn a bonus entry by snapping a photo in their new glasses inside the gondola located outside the store. Tag @WarbyParker and @ShopFarmington in your posts or stories for additional entries.

● Sweet Treats: Savor delicious locally baked cookies from Small State Provisions.

● Exclusive Tote Bags: The first shoppers to make a purchase will receive a custom-designed tote bag, perfect for carrying their new frames and more.

Here are all the details!
When: Saturday, January 25, 2025
Time: 11am – 7pm
Where: Warby Parker at The Shops at Farmington Valley, 110 Albany Turnpike, Suite #910, Canton, CT 06019
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The Shops at Farmington Valley is redefining their collection of shops with new additions including Warby Parker, Nutmeg Sweet Shop, and Vio Med Spa. More tenants are opening soon including Sweetgreen, Blo Blow Dry Bar, and FP Movement (Free People)!

Popeyes will be reopening their Wallingford location this year!

Popeyes will be reopening their Wallingford location this spring, years after a fire temporarily closed the restaurant. Popeyes is located at 860 North Colony Road in Wallingford.

The restaurant originally opened in 2004, originally home to a Dunkin Donuts. The restaurant suffered a kitchen fire in August of 2022. The restaurant temporarily closed for repairs; but did not reopen. Years of speculation about the future have now been answered.
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Reopening signs can now be seen in the restaurant's windows and hiring has started for the restaurant! Popeyes is now hiring for team members, shift managers, assistant managers, and a general restaurant manager. You can apply for positions here: https://careers.popeyes.com/search

The Paper Store is planning to relocate their Bristol location!

The Paper Store plans to move to the former Pier 1 Imports in Bristol. The store would relocate from 99 Farmington Ave (in Bristol Commons) down the street to 594 Farmington Ave (the old Pier 1 Imports.)

The retailer has leased 11,048 square feet of space in the shopping plaza, part of Bristol Plaza, according to a lease plan from the plaza’s owner. No timeline has been announced for the store’s opening.

The Paper Store is a change of retail stores that sell Hallmark cards, women’s clothing, gifts, jewelry, toys, home decor, stationery, and much more. Check out their website here: https://www.thepaperstore.com

The former Pier 1 space has been vacant since the retailer closed all their locations in 2020. The space has been used seasonally as a Spirit Halloween in past years.
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Stay tuned for an opening date once construction is complete!

By Christopher Fortier (The Southington Scoop)

Litchfield Saltwater Grille at 26 Commons Dr. has closed temporarily and will reopen later this month with a new name and menu.

Owners Andy Stowers and Brook Noel said the restaurant closed on Sunday and will return as Sage & Salt “around January 29.”

The new menu is expected to include several Saltwater Grille signature seafood dishes and new “modern comfort cuisine, more sandwiches, and an expanded happy hour menu,” according to the restaurant Facebook page.

Stowers tells the Republican-American that “Litchfield is saturated with middle- to high-end prices (at restaurants). We want to be more toward the middle.”
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All gift cards issued at Saltwater Grille will be honored at the new Sage & Salt. Business hours will remain Wednesday and Thursday from 4 to 8 pm; Friday and Saturday 4 to 9 pm; and Sunday 4 to 8 pm.

​A number of GameStop stores are closing or have already closed across Connecticut! GameStop plans to close at least 6 Connecticut locations.

An official closing list has not been released by GameStop, the list below is comprised of stores that have confirmed their closure. There could be additional store closures. Please comment if you're store is closing but is not listed.

The stores that will be closing or have already closed include:
-Danbury, CT - Berkshire S.C., 67 Newtown Rd. (already closed)
-Groton, CT - Groton Shoppers' Mart, 985 Poquonnock Rd. (already closed)
-Naugatuck, CT - Cross Pointe, 799 New Haven Rd.
-Rocky Hill, CT - Town Line Plaza, 80 Town Line Rd.
-Stamford, CT - Ridgeway Cener, 2391 Summer St.
-Waterford, CT - Cross Road Center, 167 Waterford Pkwy. N (already closed)
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These closures come after years of slumping sales and the widespread use of online game stores integrated into newer consoles.

Boot Barn is planning their third Connecticut location for Milford!

The western-wear store plans to open a new store at 1360 Boston Post Road in Milford; the former Rite Aid Pharmacy. Boot Barn would occupy the entirety of the store space. Boot Barn is a chain of 'work wear' stores that sell boots and clothing.

The retailer plans extensive renovations to the interior of the building including a new layout, finishes, and western themeing. The exterior would remain the same, except new signage, graphics, and possible painting.

Construction is planned to being in early March with an opening date planned for late April or May.
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This would be Boot Barn's third location in Connecticut, the chain has over 425 store across the country. Boot Barn opened their first CT location in Manchester in 2022. The chain has a store under construction plan in Plainville at Connecticut Commons.

Sky-High dining is back in Hartford!

The Foundry will officially open their doors today! The Foundry is located on the 20th floor of One State Street Building! The new eatery occupied the former On20, another upscale American eatery that opened in 2010 and closed in 2020.

The new restaurant will be owned by Chef Jeffrey Lizotte, the former Executive Chef of On20. Chef Lizotte owns the Present Company restaurant in Simsbury. The new restaurant has completely transformed the space into an elegant oasis overlooking the Connecticut river and the skyline of Hartford. The space is absolutely stunning!

Reservations are now available! They are currently booking pretty far out, so make your reservations today. Make them here:
https://tables.toasttab.com/restaurants/4aedc275-310b-440a-8598-65ad8a8ca5bc/reserve?partySize=2&dateTime=2025-01-16T10:30:00.000-05:00

The restaurant's menu includes starters like caeser salad, torchon of foie fras, swiss raclette fondue, sunchoke agnolotti, handerchief pasta, and others. The dinner menu consists of pan roasted halibut, butter poached maine lobster, oven seared rohan duck, prime strip steak & 48 hour short rib, house made rigatoni, and others. Sides include roasted seacoast mushrooms with miso butter, sauteed swiss chard, and crush golden potatoes. For dessert, the restaurant has black forest cake, roasted pineapple (with peppercorn cooke, lime sorbet, and caramel), olive oil cake, and coffee & doughnuts (espresso creme brulee with cinnamon sugar beignets.)

Bagel Bros & Co is coming soon to Oxford!

The new bagel shop will be located at 144 Oxford Road inside the Tommy K's Plaza. The bagel shop will open in the former Subway space in the plaza. Bagel Bro's has a single location currently in Shelton at 350 Howe Avenue.

The shop sells NY style bagels in many varieties including plain, everything, poppy, salt, egg, egg-everything, garlic, french toast, cinnamon raisin, blueberry, whole wheat, whole wheat-everything, sesame, onion, cinnamon sugar, jalapeno chedder, and others! They have a variety of spreads, sauces, and extra.

The shop also sells baked goods (including muffins, donuts, croissants, danishes) alongside a large selection of breakfast & lunch sandwiches on your choice of bagel! Check out their full menu here: https://www.bagelbrosandcompany.com/menu
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No opening date has been set for the new location. Make sure you follow their Facebook page (tagged above) to stay up to date on their opening!

Joann Fabrics has filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy for the second time in the past 12 months.

The craft store filed for bankruptcy in March 2024 and emerged the next month as a privately owned company. The chain filed for bankruptcy again this morning, citing sluggish sales and inventory issues. The company is looking to sell off its assets. Stores are expected to continue to operate normally during the bankruptcy and possible sale process.

Gordon Brothers, the new owners of Big Lots stores, has made an offer on the company. The details of the bid have not been disclosed.

Joann Fabrics currently operate nearly 850 stores in the United States with 10 in Connecticut including:
-Manchester
-Hamden
-Southington
-Clinton
-Newington
-Brookfield
-Norwich
-Enfield
-Torrington
-Milford
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No stores closings have been announced.

A new coffee shop and a new Mexican eatery are coming to Burlington, CT, while another shop recently opened their doors!
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-The B. Hive is coming soon 221 Spielman Highway! The new Coffeehouse/Roastery/Specialty Shop will be opening in the coming months. The owners have completely reimagined the space with new furnishing, paint, and much more. They plan to begin hiring within the next month for the new shop! Stay tuned to their social media for an opening announcment!

-Los Cabos Mexican Grill is coming soon to 292 Spielman Highway, Burlington Commons Plaza, in Burlington. The new restaurant will be a sister restaurant to Bright Light Diner in Plainville. The restaurant is expected to serve traditional Mexican cuisine. A timeline for their opening has not been announced. Stay tuned to their social media for an opening announcment!

-The Nevermind Shop is NOW OPEN in Burlington! The store is located at 292 Spielman Highway in Burlington Commons. The shop sells a large variety of items including records, vintage posters, clothing, tapes, CDs, & more! This is the store's second location, with their other in Upton, Mass.

Take a peek at the new Great Wolf Lodge coming to Foxwoods Resort Casino this spring! We got a tour of the under-construction resort in Mashantucket.

Great Wolf Lodge is planning to this spring/summer on May 23th! You can now book your reserveration to stay at the new resort! Make your reservation here: https://www.greatwolf.com/connecticut

The resort will feature a number of kid-friendly attractions including their signature waterpark, MagiQuest (an interactive magic adventure), Oliver's Mining Company (a gold mining experience), Ten Paw Alley (bowling), Howlers Peak Ropes Course & Adventure Trail, Northern Lights Arcade, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Howl In One Mini Golf, and Virtual Frontier (a VR gaming experience).
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The hotel will feature 549 guest rooms including family suites, KidCabin suites, Grizzly Bear suites, Wolf Den suites, Deluxe Wolf Den suites, Deluxe Gizzly Bear suites, Great Wolf Geyser suites, and Deluxe Great Wolf Geyser suites. The hotel rooms can accommodate between 2-14 guests depending on their suite class. Rooms start at $349 including access to the waterpark. Use code MAY23 or GRAND at checkout for 30% off.

Rocky Hill's newest Italian restaurant has opened their doors!

Allegro Italian Restaurant is NOW OPEN in Rocky Hill! The restaurant is located at 2060 Silas Deane Highway in Rocky Hill, the former Rudy's Little Italy restaurant space.

The space has been beautifully renovation for the new restaurant. The new eatery is owned by Betim Wilson Restaurant Group, with Betim Muzlijaj and Wilson Solano as owners.

The restaurant serves traditional Italian cuisine including pastas, chicken, seafood, veal, and steak. For dessert the restaurant serves chocolate mousse, creme brulee, lemon sorbet, tartufo, tiramisum cannoli, and cheesecake. Check out their full menu: https://allegrorockyhill.com/menu/

Allegro has a liquor licenses serving cocktails, beer, wine, and more.
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The eatery is open:
Sunday thru Thursday 11am-10pm
Friday thru Saturday 11am-11pm