The Place 2 Be, a chain of trendy brunch restaurants, faces possible evictions from 2 of their locations; including a yet-to-open The Bakery by The Place 2 Be location at Blue Back Square in West Hartford. For ease of self-research, I have linked the court documents throughout the article. Click the link to read the full document, PDFs are available at the end of the article.

The Place 2 Be Downtown
The Place 2 Be is facing a possible eviction from their Downtown Hartford location, according to a court filing on March 18th from landlord 5CP Master Tenant LLC. The court documents are part of the public docket open to all people. Check out the full court case docket here:
https://civilinquiry.jud.ct.gov/CaseDetail/PublicCaseDetail.aspx?DocketNo=HFHCV246029279S

The complaint alleges that P2B Downtown owes back-rent, 'a notice concerning unpaid base rent and additional rent and requested prompt payment of same. A true and correct copy of the notice is attached as Exhibit C. Despite demand, Tenant has failed to pay all sums due to Landlord. On or about February 22, 2024, Landlord served a notice to quit bearing a quit date of February 27, 2024 (“Notice to Quit”) on Tenant. Although the date designated on the Notice to Quit has passed, the Tenant remains in possession, control, and occupancy of the Premises.'

​The landlord is seeking to regain 'Immediate possession of the Premises', 'A forfeiture of the possessions and personal effects of the defendant, pursuant to Connecticut General Statute § 47a-23a' and ;Such other and further relief as to equity may pertain.'

According to a Return of Service document, State Marshal Alex J Rodriguez served P2B Downtown's Lawyer with a Summons Summary Process (Eviction.) He said in his court filing 'Afterwards on the 20th day of March, 2024,1 made due and legal service on the within named Defendant, P2B DOWNTOWN, LLC D/B/A THE PLACE 2 BE, by leaving a verified true and attested copy of the within original Summons, Summons Summary Process (Eviction), Summary Process Complaint, and Exhibit D (Notice to Quit), at the office of Silver & Silver LLP, Agent For Service for said Defendant, at One Liberty Square, in the Town of New Britain.'

No hearing date has been set for the matter as of the posting of this article.

The Bakery by The Place 2 Be West Hartford
The Bakery by The Place 2 Be is a planned restaurant for Blue Back Square in West Hartford. The restaurant was set to replace SPoT Coffee, and planned a Fall 2023 opening. The restaurant now faced a possible eviction according to court documents filed on February 16th by Blue Back Capital Partners. ​Check out the full court case docket here:
 https://civilinquiry.jud.ct.gov/CaseDetail/PublicCaseDetail.aspx?DocketNo=HFHCV246028812S

The court complaint alleges the 'Tenant failed to pay Rental due under the Lease for the month of November 2023. Plaintiff is the current owner and landlord of the Premises. By letter dated November 28, 2023 (the "Default Notice"), Plaintiff provided the Tenant notice of continuing defaults under the Lease.' The complaint continued 'By letter dated January 8, 2024 (the "Termination Notice"), Plaintiff gave the Tenant written notice that Tenant failed to timely and fully: (i) cure the payment default addressed in the Notice of Default, and (ii) pay Rental and charges that came due under the Lease on December 1, 2023, and January 1, 2024. The Termination Notice also gave written notice to Tenant terminating the Lease, effective January 19, 2024. A true and correct copy of the Termination Notice is attached hereto as Exhibit C. The Lease terminated January 19, 2024.'

​The landlord seeks 'A Judgement of Eviction of Tenant from the Premises; Forfeiture to the Plaintiff of any possession and personal effects of Tenant remaining on the Premises because it is a commercial property; and Such other and further relief as this Court deems just and proper' according to the court complaint. 

A 'Motion for Judgement of Defauly for Failure to Plead and Possession Summary Process' was filed on March 1st. The 'Answer and Special Defense Pleading' was filed on March 4th by Defendant, TP2B Bakery by their lawyer.

​A 'Motion to Strike' hearing is planned for April 15th at 9:45 am. 

A number of other lawsuits and court complaints are pending against The Place 2 Be and their related companies. The contractor for their New Haven location is suing to recoup monies due according to their complaint. The Place 2 Be also has pending litigation against a former employee as well as a disgruntled customer. Both cases are set for trial this year. 

The response from Gina Luari, owner, is outlined in part below:
'Hartford P2B: This story has to do with the flood and was covered in the HBJ. The landlord needs to come to an agreement on handling the damages to the space as outlined within the lease.'

'West Hartford P2B: There is not a law suit about eviction against The Bakery. We are in default of the lease because we passed our opening date in the lease due to construction delays and renegotiating we the landlord. They want us to open and we can’t until necessary equipment arrives. We filed an appearance for the bakery because we couldn’t come to an agreement with the landlord. We didn’t plead because we were going back and forth with their attorneys. And since we couldn’t come to an agreement we filed an appearance.'
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Disclaimer: This post is based on court documents filed under penalty of perjury. Any decrepenacies of the documents are not the fault of The Connecticut Scoop. These documents are part of the public record and as publicly accessible to all citizens, reporting on their existence is allowed under The Freedom of the Press and any lawsuits against The Connecticut Scoop stemming from this reporting would violate Connecticut's Anti-Stragetic Lawsuit Against Public Participation laws (SLAPP.) 

Huskies Restaurant & Bar has opened their doors at Storrs Center! The restaurant opened on Thursday at 33 Wilbur Cross Way!

The restaurant replaces Grill 86, a short-lived restaurant and bar in Storrs' Downtown area. According to Downtown Storrs the restaurant features 'a full-service restaurant open for lunch and dinner and a bar that will serve as a gathering place for residents and visitors alike. With 24 large screen TVs, including 130’’ and 150’’ screens in the main areas of the restaurant, Huskies will be the perfect spot to connect with friends and cheer on the home team!'

The longtime restaurant relocated from their previous location at 134 N Eagleville Road where they have operated for decades. The site is planned to undergo a major redevelopment in the future.

Downtown Storrs has seen an influx of new eateries and stores in the last year. Square Peg Pizzeria, Haven Hot Chicken, Playa Bowls, Nautical Bowls, Action Packed, and Jefferson Fry Co. have all joined the shopping center in recent years.
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The restaurant will be opening a second location in Downtown Hartford this summer at 103 Pratt Street, just down the street from UConn Hartford!

Simsbury Commons will be be home to many new entertainment attractions later this year!

-Fun In Trampoline Park is coming soon to the former Bed Bath & Beyond in the plaza! This will be the company's second location, they have an existing location in Middletown.

-Dill Dinkers Pickleball will be opening a new 7-court pickleball center in the former Homegoods! This will be the first location of Dill Dinkers, with plans to open at least 10 in Connecticut.

These entertainment complexes join Apex Go Karting and Apple Cinemas Simsbury. The plaza will be home to CT's second location of Raising Cane's, a viral chicken finger restaurant from the South. Bob's Stores relocated to a new space last year. The plaza has recreated itself as an entertainment destination instead of the retail center it once was.
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What else would you like to see open in this plaza? Comment below!

First peek at what Brookfield's new Big Y Supermarket store will look like at the never-opened Amazon Fresh space. The new store will be located at 14 Candlewood Lake Road inside Candlewood Lake Plaza.

The store will reuse the majority of Amazon's work, no exterior modifications are planned for the space except new signage for the grocer. The interior of the store will feature some slight modifications from Amazon's format including the addition of the in-store cafe, new customer service counter, additional equipment, and additional floral department equipment. The existing store was nearly complete at the time of the store sale to Big Y.

The store will be smaller than typical Big Y stores. Stores are typically 55,000 square feet or larger; this store will have a 40,000 square foot space. The store will have the usual mainstays of Big Y stores including the meat/seafood counter, bakery, florist, pizza & subs, sushi, prepared meals, and more.

The store plans to open this summer; with construction planned to be complete by June 1st. Hiring has started for the store, you can see all the available jobs here: https://cta.cadienttalent.com/index.jsp?locale=en_US&applicationName=BigYNonReqExt&seq=locationDetails&deviceMode=desktop&location_id=102281180717

New Big Y stores are coming soon in Westport, another never opened Amazon Fresh store, and in Middletown. The new Middletown location will open this summer, while Westport is expected to open this fall. 

​Hell's Kitchen the TV Show will be filmed at Foxwoods Resort Casino’s Hell’s Kitchen location!

Seasons 23 and 24 of the Gordon Ramsay show have been green-lit and will be filmed at the restaurant and a new studio set in Connecticut!

The restaurant opened last year as part of Foxwood’s latest renovation including a new gaming floor, Woodland Casino. The restaurant features all the fan-favorites including Beef Wellington, scallops, and Lobster Risotto.

The show is on its 22nd season with filming to start on its 23rd shortly. The show was previously recorded in Los Angeles and Las Vegas at Ramsay's other Hell's Kitchen locations. The cooking competition centers around a number of chefs competing for lucrative jobs as the head-chef of a Gordon Ramsay restaurant.
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Have you visited them yet? Do you want to be on the show? Comment below!

Esporta Fitness will be permanently closing the doors of their Bristol location on Wednesday (03/27) after 16 years of operating (14 as LA Fitness, 2 as Esporta Fitness.) The gym was located at 1379 Farmington Ave on a property know as The Shoppes at Larson Farms.

The gym occupied roughly 45,000 square feet of space in a building specifically built for Fitness International, the parent company of LA Fitness, Esporta, Club Studio, and other gym chains. The building features a basketball court, rasketball courts, lap pools, a hot tub, and more.

​​The chain converted this location to their lower-tier Esporta brand in 2021. The brand features lower monthly membership fees, LA Fitness also convert locations in Farmington, South Windsor, and Stratford to Esporta. South Windsor closed shortly after, sat vacant, before LA Fitness re-signed the lease to open their new concept, Club Studio. 

The Bristol property is now up for lease, check out the listing here: https://www.loopnet.com/.../1379-1425.../30723369/

Big changes are coming soon to The Connecticut Post Mall in Milford to make way for their redevelopment of the former Sears and a portion of the mall. New retailers and restaurant have recently made their home at Connecticut’s largest mall!

-LensCrafters recently filed building permits to move their current location to space 2006, a space used for Play at The Post in recent years. The optician is currently located on the second level near Dave & Busters.

-Victoria Secret will be relocating their store just down the hall to the Urban Planet space. A timeline for the relocation has not been released. Urban Planet is expected to relocate to a new space in the mall.

-PF Chang’s is coming soon to the former Bar Louie space! The Asian eatery will completely reimagine the former eatery both inside and out!

-Claire’s will/has relocated their boutique to the Icing space, their sister brand. Claire’s will be located next door to The Children’s Place once the renovation is complete.

-8 Thousand Pizza opened late last year on the second floor! The pizza shop replaced Cast Iron Kitchen and World of Beer before. The restaurant has a self-pour beer wall, a newer concept just starting to pop up around Connecticut.

These stores and restaurants join other newer additions including BoxLunch, Micro-Creamery, Top Notch Apparel, Snipes, and more!

The mall will be undergoing a redevelopment in the future including the demolition of the former Sears and a portion of the mall. Over 750 apartments are planned for the site with new retail space on the ground level. Connecticut Post Mall is Connecticut’s largest mall.

American Freight Appliances & Furniture has permanently closed their location at 1930 Silas Deane Highway in Rocky Hill.

American Freight has closed location on Silas Deane; the store opened shortly after Puritan Kids Furniture store closed in 2016. American Freight still has 2 Connecticut locations in Newington and Derby; and has previously operated another location in South Windsor that closed in 2020.
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The Rocky Hill building sold in May of 2023 for $2 million. The 30,000+ square foot building is currently back up for lease. Check out the listing here: ​https://www.colliers.com/en/properties/%C2%B130000-sf-free-standing-retail-building-for-lease/usa-1930-silas-deane-hwy-rocky-hill-ct-06067-usa/usa1131311

Checking in on the Meriden Mall in Meriden, CT! The mall is located at 470 Lewis Avenue, right off I-691.

The mall has struggled in recent years to reinvent itself. The mall is almost 900,000 square feet, making it CT’s seventh largest mall. It features 4 anchors space originally occupied by G. Fox, JC Penney, Sears, and Lord & Taylor. Later anchors became Macy’s, Sears, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Boscov’s; with Bestbuy, TJ Maxx, Old Navy, Ulta Beauty, Shoe Dept Encore, H&M, and Forever 21 as junior anchors.

The mall was owned by Westfield Group until June of 2020 when Namdar Realty Group purchased the mall for $11 million. Namdar’s fourth mall in CT including Enfield Square, Trumbull Mall, and Crystal Mall.

The mall has lost many tenants since Macy’s and Sears closed their anchor stores in 2020 and 2018 respectively. Best Buy closed their store in 2021. H&M, Ulta Beauty, and Old Navy closed in 2020. Old Navy was replaced temporarily by the Meriden Public Library, and potentially pickleball in the future.
Forever 21 closed permanently earlier this week, and we broke the news that Dick’s Sporting Goods will close on April 20th. Check out our post here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/i3nCUWiqARUnuv5P/?mibextid=WC7FNe TJ Maxx is not too far behind unfortunately, their 10 year lease is up next year, and the chain will open a new location in nearby Cheshire.

More in-line tenants are closing or have recently closed including Praline, Charlotte Russe, Rooster’s Chicken & Waffles, Zumiez, More Than Just Lobster, and more. A dinner-theater, The 78, planned for the mall has cancelled the project that would’ve been a must needed draw for the mall.

The mall added a new small business market called Petrillo's Fairs and Festivals in the former Ulta Beauty space. The Rush Market has temporarily occupied Sears as a distribution center for their online open-box furniture store. Yale Health plans to turn the former Macy’s store into a new medical center, though only interior demolition work has been completed on the building.
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Do you think this mall can recover? Comment below!

Let's take another progress look at the new Great Wolf Lodge coming soon to Foxwoods Resort Casino!

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!

The building is well underway, the waterpark building's exterior is just about complete with the painting underway now. The hotel has now grown to four stories of the planned 8 stories! Elevator shafts now pierce the landscape for the remaining floors! The lobby is now taking shape with the familiar gabled roof marking the grand entrance!

Check out the latest construction photos from our friends at Coaster Chit Chat, a page dedicated to entertainment attraction news and construction updates!

Do you think this is a good addition to Foxwoods? Will you visit here with your family? Comment below!

Pickleball is coming soon to Simsbury! Dill Dinkers Pickleball will open their first CT location at Simsbury Commons in the former Homgoods store.

The new pickleball center will be over 23,000 square feet. This is the first CT location for the franchise. The franchisee plans to open 10 locations throughout the State in the next years. The center is expected to open later this summer. The renovation will cost roughly $1,000,000 to turn the retail space into the seven pickleball courts.
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The plaza has seen an increase in leasing activity including the opening of Apex Go Karting, the relocation of Bob's Stores Footwear & Apparel into the former Zoo Gym space, and the construction for Raising Cane's now underway!

MGM is reportedly exploring the sale of their casino in Springfield, Mass! The casino has struggled since its opening in 2018.

The casino was planned to spark a new development boom in Downtown Springfield, the casino was supposed to serve as a major draw for downtown traffic. It was thought to be a major threat for CT’s Mohegan Sun & Foxwoods; with both casino planning to collaborate on a now-cancelled East Windsor casino.

MGM has struggled with lackluster slot and table revenue, and even before construction finished had scaled back planned casino and hotel space. A Kringle Candle Emporium opened with the casino in 2018, but closed permanently during the COVID-19 lockdown.
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Do you think Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun will purchase the casino? Have you ever visited MGM? What did you think?

DICK'S Sporting Goods at Meriden Mall will be closing their doors next month!

The sporting goods giant will be closing their longtime location at Meriden Mall! The store is located next to TJ Maxx. The store’s last day is planned to be April 20th. The store opened in 2005, replacing a short-lived Lord & Taylor location. 

The closure leaves the mall with one traditional anchor store left, Boscov's. Yale New Haven is supposed to open a new medical center in the former Macy's space, while a dinner theater was planned for a number of vacant spaces in the mall has now been scapped. 

Dick’s Sporting Goods joins the influx of store closures plaguing the mall including Forever 21 & Praline. The mall has lost a significant number of tenants in the last few years including Best Buy, Sears. Macy's, H&M, Ulta, and Old Navy. Ulta and Old Navy moved to nearby Townline Square. The mall is owned by Namdar Realty, owner of Trumbull Mall, Enfield Mall, and Crystal Mall.

Barnes & Noble is NOW OPEN in Meriden! The store opened their doors this morning at 9:00am!

The new store is located at Townline Square at 533 South Broad Street. The store is smaller than the average Barnes & Noble at just over 8,000 square feet. The store does not feature an in-store cafe. The store replaces at Pier One Imports that closed in 2019.

This location is part of an ambitous expansion of the brand with a new small footprint format! The chain plans to open 50 new stores this year. The Connecticut Scoop was first to break the news of Barnes & Noble's plans for the new store last year: https://www.facebook.com/theconnecticutscoop/posts/391253473477777
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This is Meriden's first large bookstore since the closure of Border's Books at the Meriden Mall in 2011. Make sure you visit them next time you shop at Ulta, Edge Fitness, or any of the stores in the area!

Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips has returned to Connecticut with Nathan's Famous in Trumbull! The new co-branded eatery is located in the food court at Trumbull Mall!

The restaurant opened their doors in December 2023 in the Trumbull Mall food court, returning to the mall after a 15 year hiatus. The eatery replaces a McDonald's that closed in January 2022.

Nathan's Famous has one other CT location in North Stonington inside a Pilot Truck Center. The restaurant had a location at the Danbury Fair Mall until late last year when it closed to make way for Terra Nossa Brazilian Grill.

Nathan's Famous once had locations throughout Connecticut including in Vernon (inside Kmart), East Hartford, Waterbury (inside Brass Mill Center), Milford (inside CT Post Mall), Manchester (inside Cinemark), and many more that have closed. While Arthur Treacher's had standalone locations throughout CT, but all closed by the 2010s.
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This is a welcome addition to the Trumbull Mall, with other recent additions including Snipes, Ximi Vogue, Concept Design, and more. The mall has lost a number of national tenants including Seaquest Aquarium, Foot Locker, American Eagle, Michael Kors, and Rainbow.

A number of new restaurants are coming soon to the food court at Danbury Fair!

-T-Swirl Crepe Fairfield is coming soon to the former Subway space in the food court! The restaurant has multiple locations in Connecticut including Fairfield, Middletown, and New Haven, as well as many locations nation-wide! The menu features whipped yogurt and crepes including sweet options with fruits and sauces, and savory with salmon and shortribs. Check out the full menu here: https://t-swirlcrepe.com/menu/

-Chomp Chomp is coming soon, the new restaurant replaces longtime tenant Desert Moon Fresh Mexican Grill. The restaurant is described as 'A fast-casual restaurant specializing in delicious burgers and pastrami sandwiches.' Look for them to open this spring!

-Terra Nossa Brazilian Grill is coming soon, the new restaurant replaces Nathan's Famous (Got another post coming on them!) The restaurant is a traditional Brazilian spot with a variety of meats! The restaurant is currently expanding throughout the Northeast US.

-Tai Chi Bubble Tea is coming soon to the former McDonald's space. The new bubble tea shop will be opening this spring/summer in the food court. The chain has locations in Connecituct, New York, Maryland, and Illinois.
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The mall has seen an influx in new businesses in recent years including the latest addition of Round1 (Read our story here: http://www.theconnecticutscoop.com/.../danbury-scoop... ) The mall will also add The Inspiration Co, JD Sports, Target, J Crew Factory, and more later this year!

The last year has been plagued with news articles announcing the return of Ames Department Stores to the North East. Trustworthy news companies have lent their credibility to the press releases from the retailers. The original announcement was met with great fanfare with customers rejoicing at the opportunity to shop at the store again. 

Just before Christmas in 2022, news organizations reported that Ames Department Stores would be reopening under new ownership of the Molyneux Group, the apparent owners of Bradlee Stores IP as well. The chain announced plans to reopen seven stores in Spring of 2023, with the first locations opening in Connecticut before expanding into New York State. Well, Spring 2023 came and went with no stores opening, no permit filings, no lease announcements, nothing to prove this was actually going to happen. 

Ames Department Store launched a website using the retailer's old URL amesstores.com where consumers could stay tuned for announcements. The maintenance of this website was spotty, with a lot of downtime. The retailer said on social media that these were server issues, hosting issues, and IT companies that appear to have just been created to be tagged in the post. This all seems to be an elaborate hoax for social media attention.

Now here we are, in March of 2024. Ames Department Stores announced plans to open 35 stores in 2026 with more coming in 2027. The retailer says the new stores will feature pharmacies, cafes, 7 distribution centers, and more. News sites have reported on the reopening of the store again, but again, no proof to back up these claims. I looked up business licenses in CT and NY for Ames Department Stores, Silver Knight Group, and Molyneux Group; all which came back to nothing but the original Ames that was revoked in the early 2000s.  

​Getting back to the matter at hand; Is Ames returning to Connecticut? Probably not. This might be just an elaborate hoax; or maybe a social experiment? A data harvesting operation or just click bait for profit? Only time will tell. 
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Read up on the history of Ames Department Stores from The Caldor Rainbow, an online retail blog documenting the retailers of yesterday. thecaldorrainbow.blogspot.com/2007/07/ames-vacancies-sweep-up-in-connecticut.html

Ballou's Restaurant & Wine Bar has permanently closed their doors after 15 years of business. The restaurant was located at 51 Whitfield Street in Guilford.

Ballou's announced their permanent closure yesterday morning effective immediately. The restuarant said in a statement "It is with great sadness that we announce the closing of Ballou’s Restaurant effective immediately. We truly appreciate everyone’s support over the past 15 years. We would like to thank our crew past and present for their hard work."

The restaurant featured a Mediterranean Tapas menu, a mix of paninis, pizza, salads, and other Mediterranean inspired-entrees. The restaurant also featured an extensive wine menu dubbing it a wine bar!

The restaurant won numerous awards and accolades including:
2018 Top Ten Wine Bars in Tri-State Area
Best of Shoreline 2019. 2021. 2022
Best Wine Bar in CT 2016
Winner of Shoreline Chowder Challenge 2014, 2015, & 2017
Winner of the "Best Wine List in a Restaurant" 2011-2015
Voted one of the Top 5 Wine Bars in CT by CBS
Chosen as the place in CT to add to your bucket list 2016
Voted "Best Desserts" in a Restaurant
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Did you ever dine here? Will you miss them? Comment below!

A number of new restaurants have recently opened in town!

-Salsa Fresca Mexican Grill has officially opened their long-awaited location inside Avon Marketplace! The restaurant has been under developement since December 2022, and faced construction delays. The restaurant is similar to Moe's or Chipotle, and has 17 locations with 6 in Connecticut. A new location is scheduled to open this spring in Manchester.

-Villa Mulino has opened their doors at 136 Simsbury Road in Avon! The new Italian restaurant features Italian favors, seafood, salads, steaks and more! Make sure you visit them and get the taste of Italy right in Avon!

-Crumbl Cookies has also opened their new location inside the Shops at Nod Brook at 315 West Main Street in Avon. The cookie shop opened around New Years, and is a fan-favorite. The plaza was without a cookie shop since Nestle Toll House Cafe closed after a short stint. Check them out!

-ICYMI The second CT location of Raising Cane's is now under construction in Simsbury! The new restaurant will be located at Simsbury Commons, next door to Webster Bank! Construction is well underway with the foundation of the new building poured! A summer/fall opening is expected for the chicken finger restaurant! The menu is very simplistic, chicken fingers, chicken sandwich, fries, coleslaw, and Cane’s sauce.
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-Update on DW Oyster House, it appears that the restaurant might not be coming to Avon Marketplace after all. The restaurant was planned to replace Bertucci's in the plaza; but the space is back up for lease. The restaurant would've been operated by Division West Bistro; who closed their flagship West Hartford location in late January for a suspended tax permit and back rent. We've reached out to the realtor for statement. Check out our post about it here: https://www.facebook.com/theconnecticutscoop/posts/467719689164488

What would you like to see open in the area next? Comment below!

Sayulita Cantina will be opening a location in Essex! Sayulita will open at 30 Main Street in the Centerbrook section of Essex!

Sayulita has a location in South Glastonbury at 865 Main Street! The restaurant is a fan-favorite of all who dine there! The menu features inspired upscale Mexican items including tacos, burritos, fajitas. The owner's also have a tavern in South Glastonbury called 2 Hopewell Bistro and Tavern.

The brand recently launched their own tequila brand called Cantina Azul Tequila. The tequila is served in their restaurants and is sold at liquor stores around Glastonbury with plans to expand! Thank you to The Scoop Glastonbury for breaking the Scoop!
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The restaurant is planned to open sometime this spring! They are now hiring for the new location, applications are available at their Glastonbury location.

National retailers and a new self storage facility are coming soon to Monroe!

-Aldi, a Germany grocery store, will be opening this fall at 205 Monroe Turnpike! The discount grocery is under construction on their new building that will join the new Noble Gas Station and Panera Bread that opened last year.

-Part of the same development, A new 100,000 square foot self storage facility is planned for the site! The facility would be spread out over 3 floors. The plan is still subject to Town approval.

-O'Reilly Auto Parts is planning a new store next door to Aldi at 215 Monroe Turnpike! The auto parts store would occupy a new building on the site. No timeline has been announced for their construction and opening, but plans were approved by the town in December of 2023.
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What else would you like to see coming to Monroe? Comment below!

The new Barnes & Noble store in Meriden will officially open their doors on Wednesday March 20th at 9am!

The new store will be located at Townline Square at 533 South Main Street. The store will be smaller than the average Barnes & Noble at just over 8,000 square feet. The store will not feature an in-store cafe. The store replaces at Pier One Imports that closed in 2019.

This location is part of an ambitous expansion of the brand with a new small footprint format! The chain plans to open 50 new stores this year.
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The Connecticut Scoop was first to break the news of Barnes & Noble's plans for the new store last year: https://www.facebook.com/theconnecticutscoop/posts/pfbid02twfSctMTPd2XXP4x5y4mqnZKdKMHCZh5SS2yBv9ibJVXDZm7B939HF7EerXdZBDLl

A rage-room, where you smash furniture, glass, and all kind of stuff, has opened in Derby! Explicitly Broken Rage Rooms opened their doors on March 9th at 61 Elizabeth Street in Derby, CT!

Rage rooms have grown in popularity in the last few years, they are a therapeutic way to get rid of pent-up stress and anger. The rage rooms are a safe space to let your inner Hulk out,

Explicitly Broken Rage Rooms has 3 rage packages:
Basic: 15 minutes of rage for $75 with 20 glass smashables.
Misdeanor: 20 minutes of rage for $105 with glass smashables and at least one electronic.
Boujee: 20 minutes of rage for $155 with a variety of smashables including furniture and electronics.
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Make sure you check them out!

The second CT location of Raising Cane's is now under construction in Simsbury! The new restaurant will be located at Simsbury Commons, next door to Webster Bank! The address is 530 Bushy Hill Road.

Construction is well underway with the foundation of the new building poured! Construction will soon accelerate with the building going vertical. A summer/fall opening is expected for the chicken finger restaurant! The menu is very simplistic, chicken fingers, chicken sandwich, fries, coleslaw, and Cane’s sauce.

The new Enfield location opened last month, and the location still has hours-long waits inside and the drive thru due to the long lines! The chain has at least 3 locations coming soon! They plan on opening locations in Milford, Simsbury, Wethersfield, and are looking at locations in the Manchester/South Windsor area!