BIRDCODE and Chipotle Mexican Grill are on the way to Cheshire! The eateries will join the new Stonebridge Crossing development now under construction at 2061 Highland Avenue.

Birdcode is a fast growing West Hartford-based chicken restaurant, famous for their Nashville-style chicken sandwich. The new location is expected to have a drive thru. Birdcode has locations open in Darien and West Hartford; with locations coming soon in Brookfield, Vernon, New Britain, and Canton.

Chipotle Mexican Grill is coming soon to the development. The large fast-casual chain will occupy an outparcel of the development. The eatery is expected to have a Chipot-lane, a mobile order pick up window.
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These new businesses will join the recently announced Whole Foods Market and TJ Maxx store at the development. More stores are planning including a large furniture store, pet store, and more restaurants!
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What else would you like to see open in this development? Comment below!

A number of new businesses are coming soon to Cromwell! Take a look at what will be opening this year in town!

-Texas Roadhouse will open their new location on March 18th according to a company spokeperson. The restaurant replaces Ruby Tuesday's at 55 Shunpike Road, inside The Shops at Cromwell Square.
Oliver Cromwell Tavern will open a new restaurant at 150 Sebethe Drive! The space was formerly home to Tap House 150 that closed in November.

-Hartford HealthCare-GoHealth Urgent Care has signed a lease for the former Seasons Federal Credit Union at 28 Shunpike Road. The urgent care center will open on Thursday, February 29th!

-Popeyes is still coming soon to Cromwell! The restaurant was originally proposed in 2022 for 195 West Street; now the restaurant has all the required approvals for construction. No word yet on an opening date, but we are assured work will accelerate soon!

-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 now underway on the restaurant!
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-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!

-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.

Whole Foods Market and a TJ Maxx store have officially been announced for Cheshire! The grocery and fashion stores will anchor the new Stone Bridge Crossing development (2061 Highland Ave) in town!

The stores were officially announced by Regency Centers, the new owner of the development! More stores and restaurants are planned for the development. Whole Foods Market will operate a 40,000 square foot supermarket, while TJ Maxx will open a 23,000 square foot store. Another 18,000 square foot store is planned with more inline stores and outparcels.

What would you like to see open with Whole Foods? Comment below!

Sweet & Savory is a new charcuterie, ice cream, and sweets shop located at 2 Norwich Road in East Haddam!
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The charcuterie and sweets shop has a variety of options including cookies, truffles, pastries, ice cream. The shop has many vegan options for ice cream and baked goods! The charcuterie options are bountiful too, perfect for events or just to enjoy while relaxing!

The shop is located at 2 Norwich Road (former LaBella’s Sweet Shop), and is open: Wednesday-Thursday 4pm-7pm, Friday 4pm-7pm, Saturday 12pm-7pm, Sunday 12pm-7pm. The hours will be extended into the summer!
Make sure you follow their Facebook for weekly specials!

Mansfield Drive-in Theatre & Marketplace opens for the season on April 5th for the first movie of the season!
The drive in theatre is located at 228 Stafford Road in Mansfield, CT! Tickets range from $13 for an adult to $9 for a child/military/senior. Tickets can be prepurchased online at mansfielddrivein.com

The first outdoor flea market of the season will take place on March 24th! The flea markets take place every Sunday at the theatre!
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What was your first drive in movie? Comment below!

Duck Donuts is planning their first CT location in Orange! The Pennsylvania-based donut chain will occupy the former Smoothie King space at 350 Boston Post Road!

Duck Donuts will renovate the former smoothie shop into a full service donut shop! The shop will not feature a drive thru as the former Smoothie King did.
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Duck Donuts currently has over 130 locations throughout the US and Canada. This will be their first Connecticut location. The chain joins 7 Brew Coffee, Ziggi's Coffee, and Aroma Joe's Coffee as they try to break into the competitive CT coffee and donut market.

Construction on Connecticut’s first Wegmans store is now underway! The store will be built at 47 Richards Avenue.

The demolition work of existing buildings is now complete. The former office building was cleared to make way for the new building. The construction of the parking garage will be first, with the 90,000+ square foot grocery store to be built next!

The store is expected to have typical amenities like a number of restaurants, fish, floral, bakery departments, & much more! Look for them to open in 2025!
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Are you excited to see Wegman’s expand into Connecticut? Where would you like to see them open next? Comment below!

Apple Cinemas Waterbury will be opening a new movie theater inside the Brass Mill Center mall in Waterbury!
The movie theater will replace the Regal Cinemas that closed their doors in 2022. The movie theater will be located on the third floor of the mall.

Apple Cinemas has a location in Waterbury behind the Naugatuck Valley Shopping Center at 920 Wolcott Street. It's unclear whether this location will close when the new location opens. We have reached out to Apple Cinemas and the mall for comment. Apple Cinemas has 11 other locations throughout New England.
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Apple Cinemas will join new tenants like Ashley Furniture Outlet and Bagel Factory that have/will make the mall their home. The mall sold in 2022 to Kohan Retail Investment Group.

Arooga's Grill House & Sports Bar in Shelton has closed their doors for good, just 2 years after reopening under new management. The restaurant was located at 387 Bridgeport Ave, inside The Market Place.

The restaurant was started in Pennsylvania in 2008. The brand expanded into New England in 2014 with a 15-unit franchise deal with Mohegan Sun. Arooga's opened more locations outside Mohegan Sun, Shelton, Warwick, and Attleboro. All of which have closed permanently.
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The Shelton location closed and reopened under a new franchisee in 2022, and added sport betting that year. No word yet on what will replace the restaurant.

The Ice Box and Sütő are closing their doors in Brooklyn. Suto closed officially already, while today is the last day for The Ice Box. They will be open until 7pm tonight.

Make sure to follow their Facebook pages to stay up to date where they will land and all future plans.
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Both shops are located at 17 South Main Street in Brooklyn, CT. More details can be found on their website theiceboxct.com

Al's Hot Dog Stand will be closing their doors on February 18th after 47+ years of serving food in Naugatuck!

The hot dog stand is located at 248 South Main Street in Naugatuck. Their menu features American classics like hot dogs, hamburgers, fried seafood, and sides.

The property owner plans to redevelop the site as a new gas station according to a statement from the business owner.
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He said ‘Closing Sunday February 18th so the landlord can develop the property into a gas station….Thank you for support Al’s Hotdogs for 47+ years’

Forever 21 will be closing their store at Meriden Mall this spring! The fast fashion retailer will be closing their nearly 20,000 square foot store on March 31st. The entire store is currently 50% off.

The retailer will have 6 Connecticut locations remaining after the closure including Manchester, Foxwoods, Farmington, Milford, Trumbull, and Waterford. The store closed their 2 story Stamford location last year.
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Meriden Mall is owned by Namdar Realty Group, owner of Trumbull Mall, Enfield Square Mall, and Crystal Mall in Waterford. The mall has lost a number of tenants in the last few years including Old Navy, Best Buy, EbLens, Ulta, H&M, Sears, and more.

A new 'All You Can Eat' Japanese restaurant is coming soon to Enfield! Haya Sushi will be opening their doors at 111 Elm Street this spring!

The restaurant will serve all you can eat sushi, sashimi, shumai, gyoza, the classic rolls, and more! The Springfield location offers hibachi and bento boxes. The restaurant is expected to be open 7 days a week!
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The restaurant currently has a location at 1203 Parker Street in Springfield that opened in July. The owner's also own Joy Bowl in Stop & Shop plaza in Enfield.

Ulta Beauty is planning a new location in Killingly! The store would take over a 6,000 square foot space next to TJ Maxx inside Killingly Commons!

Ulta Beauty is expected to begin construction on their new store this summer and open the store in late fall/early winter 2024. This will be a smaller store format for the retailer, their stores are usually 10,000 square feet. Ulta Beauty opened a new location in Orange in 2023, with plans to open a new store at Ridgeway Shopping Center in Stamford later this year.

Killingly Commons is a large shopping center located in the Dayville section of Killingly. The plaza is home to Stop & Shop, TJ Maxx, Old Navy, Target, Lowes, Five Below, and many more retailers.
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We've reached out to the landlord for comment, and have not heard back as of the time of posting.

Growing coffee chain, 7 Brew Coffee, could be coming to Wallingford! The current location of Captain Seas at 905 North Colony Road would be demolished under a plan set to be heard Wednesday by the Planning and Zoning Commission. The land would be cleared to make way for a new drive-thru only coffee shop called 7 Brew.

Captain Seas would have 45 days to leave their longtime home. Their 15 year lease expires next month, and the current property owner does not plan on renewing. Captain Seas is looking for a new location for their seafood restaurant.

7 Brew is a quickly expanding chain of drive-thru only coffee shops throughout the US. The chain currently has over 100 locations open, with 2,000 development agreements signed for new locations.
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7 Brew joins Ziggi's and Aroma Joe's as they try to break into the competitive coffee market. Connecticut is dominated by Dunkin, Starbucks, and numerous independent coffee chains like Perkatory Coffee Roasters & Berkins on Main.

Hobby Lobby is planning a new store in Norwalk! The retailer filed plans with the City of Norwalk's Planning and Zoning Department for interior alterations to the former Bob's Store space at 380 Main Avenue!

The craft and home decor store leased the space last month, with leasing team True Commercial Real Estate. We've confirmed with the City of Norwalk that they have received the plans and are actively reviewing them.
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The store will be around 47,000 square feet; a typical size for the retailer. The store will join Total Wine & More, Stop & Shop, and Burger King in the shopping center.

Updated Enfield Scoop!

Raising Cane's has delayed their official opening of their first Connecticut location until tomorrow, 02/14! The chicken finger restaurant will open tomorrow morning at 8:30 am! This marks the first Connecticut location for the Lousiana chain.

The restaurant will be located at 110 Elm Street in Enfield, CT. The new restaurant will features dual drive-thrus, a large dining room, and patio. The chain will be give away free Raising Cane's for a year to 20 lucky patrons on their first day!

The chain is planning to open at least 3 other locations in Connecticut including Simsbury at Simsbury Commons, Milford at 1455 Boston Post Road, and Wethersfield at 1298 Silas Deane Highway. Further expansion is planned with the Manchester-South Windsor area being explored for possible sites.

Share this news with your friends! Make sure they're not standing in the snow waiting for tomorrow!
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Are you excited for this restaurant to open? Will you go there? Comment Below!

Applegate Farm Market is an adorable little farm shop located at 220 Albany Turnpike in Canton! The shop opened in 2021 in a former McDonald’s.

The farm shop features fresh produce, baked goods, breakfast sandwiches, coffee, grilled cheese, local honey, cheeses, daily soups, and ice cream, gifts, and so much more! The shop also has a drive thru to pick up a pie, produce, and more of their great products!

The shop features their own line of jams and jellies, as well as a selection of plants and flowers in the spring, summer, and fall.

Make sure to shop local and support this great small business! You can check them out at 220 Albany Turnpike or online at https://applegatefarm35.wixsite.com/mysite
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Have you ever shoppeded here? What’s your favorite product? Comment below!

JCPenney will be closing their location at the Crystal Mall in Waterford this spring! According to the employee on the phone, a liquidation sale is underway.

JCPenney is the last anchor store at the struggling Crystal Mall. The mall was once home to Macy's, Sears, Christmas Tree Shops. and Bed Bath & Beyond; all of which have closed in recent years. The mall underwent a renovation in  2011 to update the interior to a modern look. The mall has struggled in recent years.  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.

Four food court tenants closed their doors earlier this year. 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.

No closing date has been announced. Though an employee stated it would take around 4 months to liquidate the current inventory.

A number of national retailers have left the Trumbull Mall after years of occupancy!

-American Eagle Outfitters has closed their first foor! The store was located near Target, next to Spencer's Gift. The closest American Eagle store is now located at Connecticut Post Mall in Milford.

-Michael Kors has closed their luxury store at the mall. The store was located on the second floor between Target and JC Penney. This appears to be the last luxury store to close at the mall. The next closest location is the outlet store at Clinton Premium Outlets.

-Rainbow has also closed their store at the mall! The store was located on the first floor next to Track23. The closest location is now in Stratford.

-Panera Bread has closed their cafe next to Macy's. The cafe was not accessible from the interior of the mall. The space was 2 floors. The next closest location is in Monroe.
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The mall has made some additions in recent months including Snipes, Nathan's Famous, XIMI Vogue, Concept Designs, Portabella, and a few more. The mall sold a year ago to Namdar Realty Group.

A new restaurant has opened and another is coming soon to Downtown Middletown! They include an Asian-Fusion restaurant and a steakhouse / tavern!

Yu's Fusion Modern Asian Food is NOW OPEN at 220 Main Street! The Asian eatery serves sushi, teriyaki, and other typical Asian fare. The restaurant complete transformed the former cajun eatery into an upscale lounge. Check out their menu here: https://www.yufusion.com/order

Medium Rare Steakhouse & Tavern is coming soon to 505 Main Street! The steakhouse will replace Lan Chi Vietnamese Restaurant. No timeline has been announced for the steakhouse to open.

What else would you like to see open in Middletown? Comment Below!

Raising Cane's will be officially opening their first Connecticut location next week! The chicken finger restaurant will open next Tuesday (02/13) at 10 am! This marks the first Connecticut location for the Lousiana chain.

The restaurant will be located at 110 Elm Street in Enfield, CT. The new restaurant will features dual drive-thrus, a large dining room, and patio. The chain is expected to give away free Raising Cane's for a year to some lucky patrons on their first day!
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The chain is planning to open at least 3 other locations in Connecticut including Simsbury at Simsbury Commons, Milford at 1455 Boston Post Road, and Wethersfield at 1298 Silas Deane Highway. Further expansion is planned with the Manchester-South Windsor area being explored for possible sites.
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Are you excited for this restaurant to open? Will you go there? Comment Below!

There is a number of news stories about restaurants in Plainville! Including an opening, a relocation, and a closing! Check them out:

De’ Maria’s Pizza has relocated their long-time pizza shop from 17 Whiting Street to 50 West Main Street, the former 50 West space! The pizza place now has more seating and a large patio! Make sure to check them out! Check them out at https://dmariespizza.com/

The Crazy Pancake is NOW OPEN at 17 Whiting Street, the former De'Maria's Pizza space! The breakfast and lunch joint is owned by De'Maria's and serves normal breakfast fare as well as sandwiches, wraps, salads, and more! Check them out at https://www.thecrazypancake.com/

McDonald's has closed their location at 7 Maple Street. No information was released as to the reason for the closing, though Facebook users speculate everything from higher crime to paranormal activity.
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Have you tried The Crazy Pancake yet? What did you think? Comment below!

Shake Shack could be coming soon to Avon! A special exception is currently in front of the Planning & Zoning Commission to allow for a Class III restaurant at 275 & 279 West Main Street, a former restaurant.

The plan is to demolish the existing buildings on site, including a former restaurant and a house. A new building would be constructed to house Shake Shack and two new pad sites for future tenants.

The public hearing has been extended to February 20th, the next scheduled P&Z Commission Meeting. The closest Shake Shack to Avon is in West Hartford, at The Corbin Collection. The chain has 6 locations throughout Connecticut including South Windsor, New Haven, Danbury, West Hartford, Westport, and Darien.

Are you excited to see another new restaurant come to Avon? Will you eat at Shake Shack? Comment Below!