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Drift Restaurant is NOW OPEN in Essex! The new restaurant is located at 37 Pratt Street in Essex, inside Dauntless Marina.
The new restaurant has a great menu featuring sandwiches, salads, soups, fish tacos, lobster rolls, lobster mac n cheese, shrimp & grits, and seafood platters! Take a look at some of the tasty foods they are serving! They also have a nice cocktail and alcohol menu featuring refreshing drinks to enjoy next to the water! Make sure you check them out at 37 Pratt Street in Essex. They are open Tuesday-Thursday 11:30-8:00pm, Friday-Saturday 11:30-9:00pm, Sunday 11:30-8:00pm, Closed Monday.
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Emerald City Smoothie will be closing their Canton location permanently on July 24th.
The smoothie shop is located at The Shops at Farmington Valley next door to Ben & Jerry’s. The smoothie shop opened in 2019. The chain has one location left in Connecticut, located at The Shops at Evergreen Walk. A Tolland, CT location is now marked as closed. The reason given for the closure is the franchisee’s planned retirement. Enjoy retirement! Sabrina Pools of Coventry, Connecticut has put itself in the hot water with numerous angry customers. The pool company has allegedly left customers without their money and without their pools and products.
The pool company has been located at 2182 Boston Turnpike in Coventry, operating since 1969 according to their website. The pool company specializes in pool and hot tub installations. The company has a 1 out 5 rating on the Better Business Bureau site, with 12 complaints total. Sabrina Pools has allegedly left many customers out their deposits and the pools, we’ve talked to 3 customers that have been burned by the company. The Connecticut Scoop talked to Sabrina customer Alexa (we are withholding last names to protect their identity.) She stated ‘We put down a 50% deposit for a pool cover in Fall 2023 and were ghosted by the company. They came over to take measurements, took our old cover, and have not replied to any calls since. We've tried to go to the store and they appear to be permanently closed. We are demanding our deposit back and hoping that our pool is not damaged due to no cover all winter. We were told it would be ready before the winter, and did not have the ability to find another company due to Sabrina taking our money and claiming it would be ready. We are appalled at the mismanagement, and are looking into pursuing legal actions. We have heard many similar stories.’ We also talked to Sabrina customer Sarah. She stated ‘I met with their salesman Scott Pierce several times to discuss pool options, also spoke over text to finalize purchase options. In September of 2023, I signed a contract and paid a deposit totaling over $6,000.00. The contract stated the pool would be installed on Oct 30th, 2023. On October 30th the company did not show. Reached out to the salesman and a few weeks later learned from him that suddenly the company was 2 pools behind. On December 13th still no work started. I was eventually told by the salesman that I would be the 1st pool installed in Spring 2024. In March of 2024, I still did not have any installation date or had any contact from the owner Jonathan so I called the store 6 times, but there was no answer or voicemail to leave a message on and called Jonathan’s cell phone and left 4 voicemails. On March 27, 2024 Jonathan left me a voicemail stating that work would begin April 15th and the week prior he would be out to mark the area for the pool. Unfortunately, on April 15th they did not show. On April 24th I followed up with the salesman about the situation and was informed that he is trying to reach Jonathan as well. I called both the store and owner. I left messages on the owner’s cell phone and there was no answer at the store and there was still no voicemail to leave a message on. On May 7th, Jonathan reached out via text stating that he would refund me the deposit minus a 20% restocking fee however, after finally speaking to Jonathan on the phone he agreed to a full return of deposit. It was agreed that he had up to 12 days to return the full deposit to me. Despite multiple texts and calls to Jonathan, I have still not received the deposit back to date.’ Sarah said she has filed complaints with Bristol Police, CT Consumer Protection Agency, Federal Trade Commission, and The AG’s Office’ Another Sabrina customer, Aaron, states ‘My family lost two deposits to Sabrina Pools. Close to this time last year, we paid the first deposit for an above-ground pool after they came out and took measurements. A few months later, we paid the second deposit, and Sabrina Pools was supposed to return for another survey of the area. We called several times and eventually received a call back from Jonathan, who was in Florida at Disney. He promised to get back to us when he returned. He did come back and assured us that work would start on time, with the pool scheduled to be installed by May 13th. However, no permits were pulled, and our phone calls went unanswered. May 13th came and went, and we still have not received any call or response from Sabrina Pools. This new pool company informed us that many people never received their pools from Sabrina Pools.’ The Connecticut Scoop reached out to the Department of Consumer Protection for comment on these reports. The DCP spokesperson stated ‘DCP is investigating Sabrina Pools for failure to refund deposits/failure to perform contracted work. That is the only information I am able to provide at this time.’ Sabrina Pools has a number of legal actions against it. According to the State of Connecticut’s Judicial Branch’s online case lookup software, Sabrina Pools has 7 lawsuits listed on the website. These 7 cases are from 2022 and 2023. You can read up on these lawsuits here: https://civilinquiry.jud.ct.gov/PartySearch.aspx The Connecticut Scoop reached out to Sabrina Pools for comment via telephone, email, and we visited their store in Coventry. There was no answer to the call or email; and the store was closed due to water damage according to a sign on the door. Have you had a similar experience with Sabrina Pools? Tell us your story in the comments! Disclaimer: This post is based on customer's testimonials, statements from the Department of Consumer Protection, and court documents filed under penalty of perjury. Any decrepenacies of the documents and testimonials are not the fault of The Connecticut Scoop. The testimonials were given by the customers willingly. 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.) rue21 is back! The brand has been purchased by YM, Inc; the owner of Charlotte Russe & Urban Planet stores in the United States, and other retailers in Canada.
The new owner is reopening stores across the country with plans to have over 120 locations back open within the next few months! The first batch of new stores opening yesterday (06/28) in: -Tanger Outlets Myrtle Beach -Tanger Outlets Charleston -Tanger Outlets Center Commerce -Tanger Outlets Deer Park -Tanger Outlets Phoenix -Tanger Outlets Houston -Tanger Outlets Daytona YM Inc has experience successfully resurrecting a closed brick & mortar retailer. The company purchased Charlotte Russe after their bankruptcy and successfully reopened/opened over 200 locations. The chain had 2 locations in Connecticut at the time of the chain's closing. The store was located in Crystal Mall in Waterford and Connecticut Post Mall in Milford. The retailer had other area locations in Holyoke Mall at Ingleside and Brockton, Mass. No news yet on whether these locations are part of the reopening. Would you shop at Rue21 if they reopened their stores in our area? Comment below! An update to our story about Crystal Mall. Bath & Body Works has officially closed their store at the Crystal Mall in Waterford ahead of their move to Waterford Commons across the street.
The lotion and soap store was located on the mall's second level near the former Macy's store, across from Forever 21. The store occupied over 3,000 square feet of space. The store's new location is expected to open very soon at Waterford Commons, 903-915 Hartford Turnpike, Waterford, CT according to a corporate representative. When I visited the site earlier this week, construction crews were installing the new sign and adding finishing touches to the store. The new store is over 4,000 square feet and features the chain's White Barn Candle Co. sub-store. This is just the lastest store to move out of the mall, including Shoe Dept Encore that closed their store last week. The mall has lost a number of tenants to Waterford Commons in recent years including Hannoush Jewelers, Prowess Gaming, and Yankee Candle. Fuego MG is NOW OPEN in Cromwell!
The new Mexican grill has opened their doors at the former Ninety Nine restaurant at 36 Shunpike Road in Cromwell! A outdoor patio is now under construction for the restaurant as well! The menu features Mexican favors like burritos, tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, burgers, fajitas, fresh guac, and much more. Prices range from $10 up to $40 depending on the menu item. The restaurant is open Sunday-Thursday 11:00am-10:30pm and Friday-Saturday 11:00am-11:00pm. Have you dined here yet? Will you check them out? Comment below! Five Below is coming soon to Shelton Square Shopping Center in Shelon!
The store will be located at 874 Bridgeport Avenue next to Red Lotus; the store will occupy the former Palm & Able and Connecticare spaces. The new store is expected to start construction in September with an opening planned for this fall. The store will occupy 9,000 square feet of space. The plaza is home to a number of national tenants including Stop & Shop, Homegoods, Napa Auto Parts, and many more. Five Below is the first of a number of yet-to-be announced tenants to be joining the plaza. Five Below has over 1,500 stores across the country; 19 in Connecticut and another coming soon in Waterbury. FUNBOX opens their doors tomorrow (06/28) at Enfield Square Mall! The temporary attraction features the world's largest bounce park at 25,000 square feet!
The attraction is located in the Sears parking lot near Raising Cane's. There is plenty of free parking around the mall for the event! The event will take place from tomorrow (06/28) until September 22nd! Tickets can be prepurchased in advance at funbox.com/enfield . Tickets range in price from $22 to $24 depending on the day of the week for 90 minutes of fun. They are offering $15 tickets for this weekend! The attraction in Enfield features: -Mountain Challenge -Battle Beam -Gumball Gallop -Obstacle Course -Ninja Wall -23 Foot Tall Slide -Chill Zone Make sure you check them out at 90 Elm St, Enfield, Connecticut and online at funbox.com/enfield Two Dogs Coffee Shop is NOW OPEN in Downtown Danielson!
The new coffee shop has opened their doors at 157 Main Street in Historic Downtown Danielson. The coffee shop replaces The Chop Shop Barber Shop. Two Dogs Coffee Co. sells their curated coffee online at https://www.twodogscoffeeco.com/shop-QdTZ6-2HpeL with the finest coffees selected from around the world. They have opened the new coffee shop is Danielson to showcase their premium coffee, also selling pastries and other goodies! The shop is open from Monday-Friday 6am-3pm and Saturday-Sunday 7am-3pm. The Battle Standard is moving their store to 74 Bridge Street in East Windsor, the former Rite Aid Pharmacy space in Geissler's Plaza.
The table top game store is relocating from 4 Prospect Hill Road, in the same plaza as Elizabeth Restaurant & Bar. The Battle Standard relocated from Manchester back in 2014. The new location is much larger than their previous locations. The store sells game pieces, cards, hobby supplies, and also hosts tournaments & games. Check out their website at https://thebattlestandard.com/ for a full list of events. The table top game and hobby shop is also looking to add a tavern to the new location. The Scarred Bard Tavern would open inside the store, selling small handheld food like paninis, pretzel bites, and flatbreads. The tavern would also sell alcoholic beverages including beers from local breweries. Look for The Battle Standard to open this Friday, June 28th in their new location at 74 Bridge Street in East Windsor! Saltbrick Prime Steakhouse and Lockworks Tavern are opening very soon at 1212 Main Street in Branford! The steakhouse and tavern will both open their doors this Friday, June 28th!
The highend steakhouse will open in the former Donovan's Reef. The new steakhouse will serve aged beef steaks and prime rib every night. The steakhouse has a patent on their aging technology for their beef. Check out their website here for a full menu: https://www.saltbrickprimesteakhouse.com/menus/ Lockworks Tavern will open next door to Saltbrick, they have a more relaxed menu featuring burgers, sandwiches, pasta, fish, salads, and more. Check out their website here for a full menu: https://www.lockworkstavern.com/menus/ Both restaurants are owned by Stephen Goglia's restaurant group Lockworks Hospitality Group. The restaurant group owns Caputo Trattoria, David Burke Prime, and Zac Young's Sprinkletown Donuts & Ice Cream all at Foxwoods Resort Casino. Have you ever dined at one of Lockwork's restaurants at Foxwoods? Will you eat here? Comment below! A new restaurant is coming soon to Coventry!
Burger Fry Pie and Madison Chocolate are coming soon to the former Reid's Grill & Creamery space at 1384 Main Street in Coventry. The eatery and dessert shop have been years in the making, with an opening planned in August! The restaurant will be owned by brother & sister, Diana and Paul Staley. The pair has operated a number of businesses along the shoreline including Madison Chocolate, Splash American Grille, and Reverie Kitchen. Paul Staley is an award winning chef who trained under famed French chef Jacques Pepin. The new restaurant will serve burgers, fries, and pies; but will serve a variety of scratch-made foods on their wood-fired oven. The restaurant will feature a large outdoor patio and refreshed dining room. Madison Chocolate will be joining the restaurant, the chocolate shop was formerly located in Madison and Guilford in the past. They will reopen as part of the new restaurant in Coventry, serving baked goods and ice cream. Look for them to open in August! In the meantime, check their website at burgerfrypie.com for updates! A new Mexican restaurant is coming soon to Bethel!
Casa Tequila Mexican Restaurant is coming soon to 89 Stony Hill Road in Bethel, the former Empire Szechuan restaurant in front of Big Y Supermarket. The restaurant will occupy the entire 6,061 square foot former Asian eatery. Empire Szechuan closed in September of 2021 when their lease expired. No timeline has been announced for the restaurants opening. Staropolska Restaurant will not reopen their New Britain restaurant.
The Polish restaurant was located at 252 Broad Street in the Little Poland section of New Britain for over 30 years. The restaurant closed for repairs last fall due to a small fire in the building. The restaurant announced this morning in a Facebook post that they will not be reopening, saying: “To our many friends and loyal customers, all good things must come to an end. It is with a heavy heart that we share with you that after 30 wonderful years of culinary creativity, we have decided to not re-open Staropolska Restaurant. As if surviving the pandemic wasn't hard enough, on September 19, 2023 there was a fire in the basement. While there was minimal damage to the restaurant, we were unable to come to an agreement and understanding with the property owner to have the building properly restored. This decision did not come easy. After thinking long and hard and weighing out all our options - after 30 wonderful years - it is time to retire. We would like to say goodbye and thank everyone who has supported us over the years. To all our friends and customers that saw us evolve from a tiny place with only five tables, to our 'big move' in 2001, thank you for sticking with us.” Five Below is planning a new Waterbury location! The store would be located at 152-187 Chase Avenue, inside Waterbury Plaza.
The new store would be 9,600 square feet, taking over the former Sportspark space next to DTLR in the plaza. The store would receive an extensive renovation for the new retailer including a new storefront with more windows. Five Below has an existing location in Waterbury at Brass Mill Commons, the shopping plaza near the Brass Mill Center mall. This store is expected to remain open alongside this new location. No timeline for the project has been announced. The plaza is set to also welcome Bath & Body Works and Go Health Urgent Care. More bad news for Crystal Mall in Waterford. SHOE DEPT. ENCORE has permanently closed their store at the struggling mall!
The shoe store occupied over 14,000 square feet of space on the mall's first level. The store was located next to Kay Jewelers in the mall. The store recently opened a new location as Shoe Dept. in Groton at 220 CT-12 in Groton Square. The mall continues to decline as their owners floated the idea of putting the mall back on the market. This news comes just a year after Namdar Realty purchased the mall for nearly $10 million. Crystal Mall has lost a number of tenants since they took over including JC Penney (the mall's last anchor), Dairy Queen, Pizza Hut, Subway, Charley's Subs, Shoe Dept, Rue 21, Old Navy, and many more. The mall will soon lose Bath & Body Works & Cohen Fashion Optical, both will relocate to Waterford Commons. The mall is still home to a number of businesses including H&R Block, Mr.Fix It, Kay Jewelers, Zales Jewelers, Toy Vault, This N That. Ice Imports, Dollar N Things, Men's Wearhouse, Native Crafts, Enzo Clothier, Bounce World, T-Mobile, Pretzelmaker, JBS Barber, Claires, East Side Games, A New You Day Spa, T-Shirt World, Lids, Memories Ink, Sarku Japan, Wok Express, FYE, Forever 21, Spencers, Hot Topic, Froyo World, Instyle Fragrance, Ebony & Ivory, Talbots, Finish Line, Special Occasions, Victoria Secret, AT&T, Lenscrafters, and Buffalo Wild Wings. Do you think this mall can recover? What do you think the owner should do with the property? Comment Below! Toast, Four Corners has temporarily closed their eatery at 625 Middle Turnpike in Storrs, but will be back open very soon to continue serving delicious food!
I received questions from readers regarding the temporary closure and reached out to the owner for comment. Owner John Reuber told The Connecticut Scoop that the restaurant lost key employees simultaneously, making it hard to operate. They difficult decision was made to close for the summer with plans to reopen before the end of August. Rest assured all gift certificates are still valid and will be honored ones the restaurant reopens! Toast opened in 2015, and has become popular among locals and UConn students for their breakfast, lunch, and large variety of gluten free offerings. DeCicco & Son's is planning their first Connecticut location at 21 Glenville Road in Greenwich, a former Stop & Shop.
The New York-based grocery store chain currently has 11 locations in Westchester County New York with more stores in development. The new Greenwich location will be 20,452 square feet. The plaza is also home to a liquor store, a Verizon store, and other retail space. The grocery store would add a new rear entrance, the property was approved to add more parking to the rear of the site last year. No timeframe has been announced for the opening of the new store. Three new restaurants are coming soon to Mohegan Sun! With two planned to open this summer!
-The Crafty Slice, a new pizza place, will be opening shortly at the Summer Entrance in the Casin of the Earth! The pizza place will be a new dinner and late night offering. They will be Monday-Thursday 5pm-Midnight, Friday 5pm-3am, Saturday 3pm-3am, and Sunday Noon-Midnight. They will offer $5 slices of fresh pizza including cheese, vegetarian, pepperoni, and combo. Other offerings include salads, grinders, dessert pizza, churros, and the bar. -The Shed Restaurant, a concept from John Tunney from Ballo, will be opening this summer next to Frank Pepe’s! The new reataurant will feature lunch, dinner, and all-day brunch! They are replacing the old food court between Ballo and Frank Pepe. Check out more information here: intheshed.com - Beauty & Essex, a TAO concept, will be opening this holiday season in The Shops at Mohegan Sun, replacing the Geno’s Fast Break food court next to Johnny Rockets. The pawn-shop inspired eatery has 2 locations, Las Vegas and New York. The Mohegan Sun location was previously announced, but has sat idle; construction is now finally starting! Find more information on the concept at taogroup.com These concepts join the growing list of high-end eateries at the casino including Ballo, Bobby’s Burger Palace (by Bobby Flay), Carlo’s Bakery, Michael Jordan’s Steakhouse, MJ23 Sports Bar, Sol Toro, Novelle, and much more. Congratulations to The Fresh Monkee, LLC! They opened two new locations this week in Vernon and Middletown; and announced their newest location coming soon in Colchester!
The shop makes the drink right in front of you with fresh ingredients, no mixes or flavor powders. Everything is fresh and delicious! -The healthy shake shop opened their new location in Middletown at 138 College Street, replacing a Herbalife MLM shake shop. The shop is open Monday-Friday 7am-7pm and Saturday-Sunday 9am-3pm. -The Fresh Monkee opened a new location in Vernon at 425 Talcottville Road, inside The Shops at Eastview. The shop joins Planet Fitness in the plaza. -The shop will open their 8th Connecticut location in Colchester at 179 Linwood Avenue. The shop will join a gym, urgent care center, and more in the plaza. Look for them to open later this year! The shop recently started franchising their brand; which has led to a quick expansion to other states! The Fresh Monkee has expanded to Rhode Island and has locations coming soon in Arizona & Massachusetts. The brand has also signed development agreements for future locations in New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee, Florida, and North Carolina! Where would you like to see The Fresh Monkee open next? Comment below! CrowesNest.cafe is coming soon to the former Dubliner restaurant at 165 Hartford Pike in Dayville!
The new restaurant will open their doors on June 24th. The new eatery will serve sandwiches, salads, grinders, vegan sandwiches, gluten free sandwiches, smoothies, and much more! Check out the full menu below! The eatery will be open Monday, Wednesday-Friday from 11-5pm. Saturday from 11-3pm. Congrats to the Crowe Family from Plainfield! Make sure to check them out on June 24th! Some new restaurants are now open or coming soon to East Haven! These include a new Asian eatery, Mexican cuisine, and a Jamaican restaurant.
-Niu Sushi & Ramen has opened their doors at 96 Frontage Road in East Haven! The restaurant replaces the old Boston Market location. The restaurant is a sister location to Niuda Noodle & Sushi in Middletown. -Fiesta Bar & Grill is coming soon to 15-75 Frontage Road! The new Mexican restaurant will be opening in a 6,250 square foot sapce in the shopping plaza. Look for them to open later this year. -Hot Roostah is coming soon to 912 Foxon Road! The new restaurant will serve Jamaican food out of the building. No timeline has been announced for the project. The project was approved by the PZC in February. Bob's Stores Footwear & Apparel and Eastern Mountain Sports have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The chains operate stores across the Northeast.
The chains have filed for bankruptcy protection, the fourth time for Bob's Stores in its history. The stores announced last month plans to lay off nearly 150 employees at their warehouse in Meriden and the closure of 10 stores including their locations in Hamden and Southington. The warehouse is Meriden will be closing, with online order fulfillment shifted to their stores. The move will leave the building empty. The warehouse has been the chain's headquarters and fulfillment center for most of its existence. The bankruptcy does not mean that all their stores will close. Chapter 11 Bankruptcy allows a company to keep operating while negotiating with creditors and formulating a plan to move forward. This could mean more underperforming stores could close. Bob's and EMS have 369 creditors, with assets and liabilities between $50-100 million. The chain is currently doing a major remodel of their Manchester location to add an Eastern Mountain Sports to the Bob's Store. The chain also planned to open a new flagship store in Norwalk; this appears to be onhold. Eastern Mountain Sports has been on a store opening spree with new locations in Danbury, Burlington VT, Canton MA, and Deptford NJ. Bob's currently operates stores in Manchester, Waterford, Newington, Waterbury, Middletown, Simsbury, Milford, and Ansonia. Eastern Mountain Sports operates stores in Danbury and Waterford. Big Y World Class Market is NOW OPEN at 850 South Main Street in Middletown!
The new grocery store opened their doors this morning (06/20) at 7am! The store is open seven days a week 7am-9pm. The store features a pizza shop, sandwich shop, bakery, hot fish & chips. wing bar, organic produce, sushi, catering, and much more! The store will host the grand opening celebration on July 11th. The store will be giving away 3 prizes including 20,000 in myBigY Rewards Points ($200 in free groceries), 10,000 in myBigY Rewards Points ($100 in free groceries), and 5,000 in myBigY Rewards Points ($50 in free groceries). Middletown myBigY members are automatically entered to win! We are getting our first look at the future Hobby Lobby store coming to Norwalk!
The new Hobby Lobby store will open at 380 Main Avenue in Norwalk, replacing the former Bob's Stores. The store will join Stop & Shop and Total Wine. The new store will measure over 50,000 square feet. Bob's Stores closed in March with plans to reopen down the street; those plans have not came to fruition yet. The store will receive a complete renovation including the demolition of the stores facade and the construction of a new Hobby Lobby storefront to match their standard. Check out the images for a sneak peek of the final product. Construction is expected to start this fall and the store is expected to open this winter! |
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