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Baker & The Brew will be closing their doors permanently on February 29th, 2024. The coffee shop is located at 2 North Road in East Windsor, inside Sofia's Plaza.
Baker & The Brew was a full-service coffee shop, serving coffee, espresso, tea, sandwiches, baked goods, and more. The coffee shop was formerly a franchise of 'It's a Grind.' The coffee shop was previously up for sale, though no buyer was found. The owner blames the recent increase in minimum wage and food costs for the pending closure. The owner said in a statement: 'To all customers of Baker and Brew Due to the recent minimum wage increase and a large increase in the cost of food and supplies, we can no longer afford to keep our shop open. We all all very sorry that everything is coming to an end. Baker and the Brew will close our doors on Febraury 29th, 2024 for good. We wish all of you the best in the upcoming years.'
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J Restaurant Bar will be closing their doors at their longtime location next year! The longtime restaurant and bar is located at 297 Washington Street in Hartford. The restaurant has a new one year lease on the space, and plans to stay open until it runs out. After the lease, the owner is planning on reopening elsewhere. A statement from the owner reads: 'As many of you have been asking questions along the way, it has come to the bittersweet announcement regarding the longevity of J Restaurant|Bar. As of January 25, 2024, I have sold my properties to LAZ Parking. J Restaurant|Bar still has a 1 year lease on the property and our closure date has yet to be determined. We have numerous options to consider, and are still in the planning stages of what will make the most sense for the future of Pizza Plus, J Restaurant Bar and J Catering. We would like to thank all of you for the concern that you have shared with regards to us leaving, but we are still here so let's make the best of the time that we have. As soon as things transpire, we will be sure and make another announcement. Reflect back on when we set up for COVID and our logo was "Paved Parking Lot, Put up a Paradise" and now it has come full circle, "Paved Paradise, Put up a Parking Garage." We will now turn the page and see what the future holds' New Parking Garage to be built on the site: The building was recently sold to LAZ Parking; who plan on building a new parking garage on the site. The parking garage is going to be leased to Hartford Hospital. The new parking garage will be built on the site and have a pass-over bridge to the Hartford Hospital campus across Washington Street. The new 8-story, 900 spot garage will cost approxiamately $47 million to build. The garage is needed do to the new Hartford Hospital expansion underway; including a large new hospital tower. The garage was approved in June of 2023 by the Planning Commission and was previously approved by the NRZ, the Neighborhood Revitalization Zone. A number of retailers and eateries are coming soon to The SoNo Collection! The new retailers include:
-Hot Topic, the pop-culture / teen centric store will occupy the third floor space now occupied arcade machines next to Abercrombie Kids. No timeline is set for the retailer to open. The closest Hot Topic is currently at Trumbull Mall. -Charlotte Russe is coming soon to the mall. The fast-fashion retailer has not announced which space they will occupy at the mall, but are listed as opeing soon on the mall's website. -Sally's Apizza is coming soon to the ground level of the mall! The legendary pizza shop will open on 'Restaurant Row' of the mall, opening next to Jacob's Pickles! -Haagen Dazs is opening soon next to Starbucks! The icecream shop will open on the third floor! -Chiwa Bistro is coming soon to the mall! The bistro is expected to open on restaurant row as well! These retailers and eateries join other new additions ALDO Shoes, SONO Nails, Kilim Design, Jacob's Pickles, Starbucks, and MINISO. What retailer would you like to see join The SoNo Collection? Comment Below! Haven Hot Chicken will officially open their new Middletown location tomorrow, January 27th! The new chicken restaurant will be located at 524 Main St, Middletown, CT.
The restaurant serves chicken sandwiches; including Nashville-style spicy chicken. The menu also features slaw, fries, mac n cheese, and bread pudding. The menu also features some vegetarian iteams. Haven Hot Chicken now has 6 locations including New Haven, Orange, Norwalk, North Haven, Storrs, Middletown; with a seventh location coming soon in Newington! Where would you like to see them open next? Comment Below! Red Fox Prime Steakhouse owners will be opening a new restaurant in Middlefield! Red Fox Panini and Grill will open at 222 Meriden Road in Middlefield! The restaurant hopes to be open by March according to the owner. The steakhouse purchased the former Red Dog Saloon, a biker bar, last year with hopes to open Red Fox Amore, an Italian restaurant. Plans have now shifted to a panini restaurant! Fico and Zumra Cecunjanin own a number of restaurants including Red Fox Steakhouse in Middletown, Red Fox Prime Steakhouse in Glastonbury, Rustic Pizza in Middletown, and a few others! Great Wolf Lodge is well under construction at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard!
A year after the ground-breaking we see the waterpark building is nearly complete from the exterior, while the hotel and entertainment spaces are just beginning to go vertical! Check out the latest construction photos from our friends at Coaster Chit Chat, a page dedicated to roller coaster news and construction updates! Look for Great Wolf Lodge to open in 2025 with a 91,000 square foot waterpark, 61,000 square foot entertainment complex, and 549 hotel rooms! Do you think this is a good addition to Foxwoods? Will you visit here with your family? Comment below! 
Big Y World Class Market will be opening new locations in Brookfield and Westport! The grocery store will take over 2 spaces originally slotted for Amazon Fresh stores!
Big Y will open at 14 Candlewood Lake Road in Brookfield and 1076 Post Road East in Westport! Both locations were nearly completed and planned for Amazon Fresh store before the retailer paused their planned openings. Big Y has another store under construction in Middletown, a new ground-up construction with plans to open later this year. The timeline for these openings in not yet know. The two planned Amazon Fresh stores will be slightly smaller than typical Big Y stores. Lexington Partners, a major landlord in Connecticut, had their pre-application hearing with the Town of Westbrook to redevelop the ailing Westbrook Outlets property at 314 Flat Rock Place in Westbrook!
The preliminary plans show a large mixed-use development with 9 large buildings and a collection of town houses. These are preliminary drawings and are subject to change. The early numbers suggest 595 apartments, around 75,000 square feet of retail and entertainment space, 14,400 square feet of amenity space, a possible amphitheater, 100 room hotel, and 100 townhouse condos. These plans are still subject to Town approvals including zone changes and regulation exceptions. No timeline has been announced for the project. Some tenants names that are hinted in the plans include Dave & Busters and Trader Joe's. These are not confirmed as having signed onto the project. We've reached out to Lexington Partners for more information and a statement. The site is currently home to Westbrook Outlets, home to H&M, Hanes Brands, Tapville Social, Kur Spa, J Crew Outlet, Pepperbridge Farms, and more. The center was previously a Tanger Outlet mall. Do you think this development will be good for Westbrook? What tenants would you like to see open in the development? Comment Below!⬇️ 
L.L.Bean will be closing their New Haven location after just 5 years of business! LL Bean will close their store at The Shops at Yale on February 11th.
The store opened in 2018 at 272 Elm Street. The store replaced an Orange outlet store that closed shortly after the New Haven location opened. LL Bean will open a new location in Enfield later this year at Brookside Plaza. Another location in CT is in development; though a lease has not been signed. LL Bean will be left with locations at Danbury Fair and The Shops at Evergreen Walk in South Windsor. 
We have officially launched our new website! Our new website is www.theconnecticutscoop.com There you will find the same great coverage on our social media pages!
The website combines all our coverage from our pages The Manchester Scoop, The Newington Scoop, The Vernon Scoop, and The Connecticut Brew! This is your one stop destination for our coverage! Please share it with your friends without social media! We have some big plans in the works including new towns that will join the mix! Our advertising information is on our website at theconnecticutscoop.com/advertise for more information! Tag your favorite local business who might be interested in advertising! Thank you for your continued readership! 
Barb's Pizza will be opening a new location at 34 Shunpike Road in Cromwell at Crossroads Plaza! The pizza shop had previously operated at 51 Shunpike Road in Cromwell Square Shopping Center, this location closed last year. Look for them to open later this year!
Barb's Pizza is coming soon to Southington! The pizza shop will open at Factory Square, a collection of small shops, a coffee shop, a brewery, axe throwing, and much more at 168 Center Street in Southington!Barb's Pizza is expected to open next door to The Lab! Factory Square is home to many businesses including Montana Nights Axe Throwing, Perkatory Coffee Roasters, Witchdoctor Brewing Company, Leaps & Bones, The Lab, Hardcore Sweet Bakery, Rosie's Royal Chocolates, and many more! Barb’s previously had a location on Farmington Ave in West Hartford that was sold to Zephyr Street Pizza in 2021. Barb's Pizza previously had locations in Cromwell at Cromwell Square Shopping Center. BIRDCODE will officially open their new Darien location on Wednesday (01/24) at 10:30am! This is a longtime coming! The location has been in development for 2 years!
The chicken restaurant will be located at 121 Post Road, an old HSBC bank. The restaurant will feature BIRDCODE’s first drive thru, another drive thru location is planned for Brookfield. The menu consists of Nashville-hot chicken sandwiches, regular chicken sandwiches, wings, chicken & fry bowls, Mac N Cheese, fries, and much more! Make sure to check them out on Wednesday! Are you excited for them to open? Comment Below! Barb's Pizza is coming soon to Southington! The pizza shop will open at Factory Square, a collection of small shops, a coffee shop, a brewery, axe throwing, and much more at 168 Center Street in Southington!
Barb's Pizza is expected to open next door to Leaps & Bones and The Lab! Barb's Pizza previously had locations in Cromwell (closed last year) and West Hartford (closed in 2021.) Factory Square is home to many businesses including Montana Nights Axe Throwing, Perkatory Coffee Roasters, Witchdoctor Brewing Company, Leaps & Bones, The Lab, Hardcore Sweet Bakery, Rosie's Royal Chocolates, and many more! An ALDI grocery store is coming soon to Plainville! Aldi will occupy 21,000 square feet of space next to Old Navy at Connecticut Commons! The space was formerly home to Old Navy before they moved to a smaller space next door, and will be combined with part of AC Moore.
The plaza was set to welcome an Amazon Fresh, but those plans failed to materialize after the online-retailer slowed the expansion of their grocery store chain! The Amazon Fresh store would've combined Old Navy and Justice to create a large space. No timeline has been announced for the opening of the store! The address of the store will be 282 New Britain Avenue, Plainville, CT. TJ Maxx is coming soon to Guilford Commons in Guilford, CT according to their landlord Site Centers! The discount retailer will replace Bed Bath & Beyond in the plaza, 1919 Boston Post Road!
TJ Maxx was originally scheduled to replace the now-closed Walmart at 900 Boston Post Road. Though the retailer ultimately pulled out; Target is now expected to replace Walmart. No timeline has been announced for the opening of the retailer. The retailer will also be joined Old Navy; also coming soon to Guilford Commons! Are you excited for TJ Maxx to open in Guilford? Are you happy they found a new space in town? Comment below! 
Fine Fettle will open their newest recreational location in Old Saybrook on January 19th! The marijuana dispensary will open at 233 Boston Post Road!
To celebrate the new location guests to Old Saybrook will receive 20% off on opening day (January 19, 2024), plus free swag all day. Purchase anytime during our first week of opening (January 19 - January 26) and get a 15% off lifetime discount, forever after. To comply with town ordinances, our Old Saybrook location operates on an appointment-only basis for ALL visits. Customers must preorder online, select your preferred pickup time before visiting, and arrive during your selected pickup window, which will serve as your appointment. You can also add an 'appointment token' and an accessory (like a lighter) from the online menu as a preorder. Due to a limit on in-store transactions per hour, we kindly ask you to arrive during your pickup or appointment window. Early and late arrivals may only be accommodated so long as we remain in compliance. Delivery is available through Green Coach Delivery! The dispensary chain has CT locations in Manchester, Newington, Old Saybrook, Stamford, & Willimantic! The chain also has locations coming soon in Bristol and Norwalk! Are you excited to see them open? Will you shop here? Comment Below! 
DONO Cafe at the new Pennant apartment development is NOW OPEN! The coffee shop is located at 1212 Main Street, near the Hartford Yard Goats stadium!
The coffee shop has opened in the end cap of the new development! The space is beautifully built out with brick, dark green, and a tin-look ceiling! Make sure to check it out! The coffee shop will have their grand opening celebration on January 26th! Mark your calendars now! Their menu features coffees, lattes, smoothies, sandwiches, and much more! A number of new businesses are coming soon to Cromwell! Three new restaurants and an auto parts store are planned.
-Fuego Mexican Grill is coming soon to 36 Shunpike Road, the former Ninety Nine Restaurant! No timeline has been announced for the opening; though construction is underway! -From Chan Bakeshop is coming soon to 50 Berlin Road! The bakshop will feature American classics, as well as French and Asian pastries. Gourmet coffees and handcrafted drinks will also be on the menu! The opening is planned for March! -Texas Roadhouse is nearing completion! The restaurant will be opening at 55 Shunpike Road, the site of the former Ruby Tuesday! The restaurant is expected to open on March 14th! Though this date is subject to change! -Autozone is set to replace the vacant Friendly's restaurant at 48 Berlin Road! The auto part shop will replace the existing building with a new custom building. The store is expected to open in March! New Multi-Town Scoop!
BIRDCODE will be expanding rapidly throughout Connecticut! The chicken chain, known for their Nashville hot chicken sandwiches, will be opening at least six new locations in Connecticut! The chain will be opening locations in: -Darien, opening very very soon! The restaurant will be located at 151 Post Road! -Vernon, opening this spring! The restaurant will be located in a former Papa Gino's at Tri City Plaza; the address will be 35 Talcottville Road. -Canton, construction on the new building will begin in February with a 2024 opening planned. The restaurant will be located at 101 Albany Turnpike! -Brookfield, the restaurant will be transforming the old Moe's Southwest Grill into their newest location with a drive-thru! The restaurant will be located at 164 Federal Road. -New Britain, construction on the new building will begin this year; the plaza will also be homre to a new Starbucks and Mattress Firm. The restaurant will be located at 488 Hartford Road, across from Target. -Cheshire, the location has not been finalized. Though we have been assured it is coming soon! Any guesses where they will be popping up in town? These locations join BIRDCODE’s existing location at 120 Park Road in West Hartford. Where would you like to see BIRDCODE open next? Comment Below! New Killingworth Scoop!
Ziggi's Coffee is coming soon to Killingworth! The coffee chain will set up shop at 151 Route 81; in a new ground-up construction building. The new location will feature a drive-thru and walk up window; an interior cafe is not part of the plan. The footprint of the new coffee shop will be 815 square feet. Construction is planned to begin in February. The Colorado-based coffee chain will be expanding into Connecticut with their first location! The chain has over 70 locations open throughout the US and has over 140 locations in development. The chain will branch into New Hampshire and Maine early this year. New Waterford Scoop!
Four food court tenants have closed their doors at Crystal Mall in Waterford! The struggling mall has lost Charleys Cheesesteaks, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and Subway restaurants. The only remaining food court tenants include Dairy Queen, Wok Express, and Sarku Japan. The mall has struggled in recent years. After undergoing significant renovations in 2012, many retailers had updated their stores to their current prototypes. In recent years, many popular chains have closed up shop including Old Navy, J Jill, Dressbarn, Abercrombie, Loft, Starbucks, Champs, Gap, Zumiez, EbLens, H&M, and many more. The mall was hit with more bad luck when Macy’s, Sears, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Christmas Tree Shop all closed their anchor stores. Plans were explored to redevelop Sears into a food hall and new retail space, these plans fell through after a sale earlier this year. I’ve attached some renderings of what was originally planned. The mall sold earlier this year. Simon Property Group walked away from the sickly mall, selling to Namdar, a large dead-mall owner known to let their malls decay. Do you think the mall could spring back to life? Have you ever shopped here? Comment below! The new Stop & Shop in Waterbury at 943 Wolcott Street will open this Friday, January 12th at 7:00am! The existing Stop & Shop across the street will close permanently, as well as the fueling station. Stop & Shop is taking over the former Shoprite that closed last year.
TJ Maxx is coming soon to the plaza! The discount retailer will occupy the recently vacated Crunch Fitness space! No timeline has been given for their opening. The store at Brass Mill Center is expected to relocate. Petsmart will occupy the last large vacant space, a former buffet. No timeline has been given for their opening. The store near Home Depot is expected to relocate. Crunch Fitness in the same plaza recently closed their doors. A new development is coming soon to Avon! The new development will be located at 182-192 West Main Street in Avon! Two new buildings will be constructed on the site, with plans to have 4 new tenants.
New tenants will include Jersey Mike's Subs, Teriyaki Madness, and PeoplesBank! Peoples Bank will be located in its own building in the development; while the remaining 3 tenants will be in a multi-tenant building. The final tenant space (1,600+/- square feet) is up for lease. Check out the listing here: https://www.loopnet.com/.../182-192-W-Main-St.../29463640/ What would you like to see open in the last tenant space? Comment below! |
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