Lisa's Chocolates and Gifts will reopen their Mansfield store at 534 Storrs Road!
The chocolate and gift store will be reopening in their former storefront in the old Mansfield Center General Store in Mansfield. They plan to open on October 1st if all goes to plan! The store sells homemade chocolate and gifts made from local vendors. If you are interested in a vendor space in their new store please reach out to them here: [email protected] Lisa's closed last year after new owners took over the building. Now the entire building has been beautifully renovated and is ready for new occupants! Look for them to open October 1st!
1 Comment
A new Wingstop location is planned for Hartford!
Wingstop plans to open a new location at 1888 Main Street in Hartford, the former Main Wah Kitchen restaurant. The restaurant will be part of the plaza home to Save A Lot, T Mobile, Home Decor, and Family Dollar. The restaurant will occupy roughly 2,000 square feet including a small dining room. The chain has an existing Hartford location at 550 Farmington Ave, Hartford, CT. The chain is on an expansion spree throughout Connecticut with new locations planned in Bristol, Wethersfield, and New Britain. The chain has existing locations in Vernon, Danbury, Hamden, Derby, Bridgeport, New Haven, Mashantucket, and Hartford. Construction is expected to begin this fall. 
Once Upon A Child is NOW OPEN in Waterbury!
The children's clothing and toy store is now open at 835 Wolcott Street in Waterbury, CT! The store is located in the former Kid's Town Day Care space in the plaza. Once Upon A Child buys and sells gently used kids clothes, shoes, toys and baby gear. You can bring in your gently used kids items and get cash on the spot, or shop around for their favorite brands at affordable prices. They buy items for all seasons, all day, every day, with no appointment necessary. This is the chain's 8th location with stores in Manchester, Danbury, Wethersfield, Orange, Meriden, Enfield, and Bristol. The store is open Monday-Saturday 10am-8pm and Sunday 11am-6pm. L.L.Bean is planning their tentative grand opening date for October 4th! LL Bean is the newest member of North Central Connecticut Chamber of Commerce. The store is coming soon to Brookside Plaza in Enfield, occupying the 24,801 square foot former Bed Bath & Beyond space. The space has been totally renovated including a new store facade. This will be LL Bean's third Connecticut store including South Windsor, Danbury, and the new Enfield store! The store also has a location in Hadley, Mass. They are now hiring for the new store, you can apply here: https://llbean.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/LLBean_Careers... 
Dill Dinkers Pickleball will have their soft opening of the new Simsbury location on September 6th-12th!
The new pickleball facility will be located in Simsbury Commons in the former Homegoods space! The pickleball club will feature 7 championship-sized ProCushion courts. The facility occupies 23,900 square feet of space in Simsbury Commons. Dill Dinkers joins Apple Cinemas, Bob's Stores, FroYo Shoppe, Lisa's Luna Pizza in the plaza. They will soon be joined by Raising Canes on September 10th and Fun Max Adventure Park in the old Bed Bath & Beyond space. You can find more information on membership and the facility here: https://dilldinkers.com/ct/simsbury/bushy-hill-road and book your courts here: https://app.courtreserve.com/.../Calendar/Events/12438/Week Level99 is coming soon to West Hartford's Corbin Collection! The new first-of-its-kind social gaming playground featuring over 50 real-world physical and mental challenges & games! The attraction will feature craft drinks and elevated dining. The facility will open at 1445 New Britain Avenue, in the Corbin Collection. The Corbin Collection is the redevelopment of the former Sears store at Corbin's Corner. The redevelopment started in 2016 and saw Saks Off Fifth, REI, World Market, Buybuy BABY, Tavern in the Square, Shake Shack, PokeWorks, Crumbl Cookies, Club Pilates, Hartford Healthcare, and Ivy Rehab take residency in refreshed buildings. Level99 will occupy the long-vacant 41,745 square foot second floor of the former Sears, the final empty space. The attraction will have dozens of unique challenge rooms with teams of between 2 and 6 people. Challenges are timed to be completed. The company has two existing locations of Level99, one in Natick andthe other in Providence; another location is planned for North Virigina next year. This will be their first foray into Connecticut. Their other 2 locations feature a branch of Nightshift Brewing, its unclear if Nightshift will be included in the West Hartford location. Read more about their opening from our friends at We-Ha.com: https://we-ha.com/west-hartford-business-buzz-august-26.../ Nikki's Dog House is coming soon to 1244 Storrs Road in Storrs, Storrs Commons Shopping Plaza! The hot dog eatery will be located in the former AT&T space next to Chang's Garden; they will also join Starbucks, Dominos, and Hartford Healthcare in the plaza. They are expected to begin construction very soon with a planned opening this fall! The eatery's first location is in Putnam at 5 Canal Street. The sells hot dogs, corn dogs, burgers, tacos, sandwiches, salads, ice cream, MOO Shakes, and more! Look at their full menu here: https://www.nikkisputnam.com/menu Big congratulations to the restaurant becaus they were recently voted as the Best Hot Dog in Connecticut by Connecticut Magazine! The restaurant beat out Capitol Lunch, Blackie's, Frankie's, and Super Duper Weenie. Ugly Dumpling is coming soon to Hamden! The restaurant chain will occupy the former TGI Fridays at Marketplace at Hamden. The restaurant will occupy 6,380 square feet. The chain has 3 existing locations in with 6 new locations planned including in Town of Hamden, Connecticut. The restaurant serves traditional Chinese cuisine including orange chicken, shrimp stir fry, chicken fried rice. The restaurant is famous for their Xiao Long Bao(a traditional steamed bun with a number of fillings) and a variety of dumplings. Check out their menu here: https://order.online/store/ugly-dumpling-edison-24663981/?hideModal=true&pickup=true No timeline has been announced for their opening. The restaurant will soon be joined by Panera Bread in the plaza, construction will soon be underway on their new building on the former Pier 1 site. 
The Phantasia Restaurant and Sunrise Square Food Court have closed their doors at Mohegan Sun!
Phantasia was located in the Autumn section of Casino of the Earth. The Asian restaurant operated alongside the Sunrise Square Food Court, an Asian-themed food court featuring Ramen, Sushi, Korean Bao, Dim Sum, and other traditional Asian dishes. Both the food court and the Phantasia restaurant closed recently, its unclear when their final day of operation was. According to a statement from Mohegan Sun's Public Relations Department, they plan to reopen the Sunrise Square Food Court in the near future. Future plans for the Phantasia restaurant space are unknown. This is just one of the changes currently underway at Mohegan Sun. The Casino will soon welcome The Shed (a brunch concept from Ballo Italian Kitchen) and Beauty & Essex (A pawn-shop themed upscale eatery.) The Shed is expected to open in the coming weeks in the Casino of the Earth next to Frank Pepe's; and Beauty & Essex will open this Holiday season in The Shops at Mohegan Sun mall. CVS is planning a new location in Bridgeport! CVS is planning to open a new store at 960 North Avenue in Bridgeport, the former Walgreens Pharmacy. The store would occupy 16,641 square feet. The adjacent Chase Bank would remain open. Walgreens opened in 2004 on the site, featuring a drive thru pharmacy. The new CVS will have the typical departments including Pharmacy, Photo, Immunization, Health & Beauty, and more. No timeline for the new store has been announced. The store is expected to spend over $2 million on the new build-out. 
Work has officially start on the new Ollie's Bargain Outlet in Willimantic!
The new store will be located at 1601 West Main Street, the former Ocean State Job Lot space at Willimantic Plaza. Ocean State Job Lot moved down the street to the former Price Rite grocery store in 2021. Ollie's will join BJ's Wholesale, Peking House, Supercuts, Quest Diagnostics, and the new BJ's Gas Station in the shopping plaza! The store will be 31,240 square feet. The store is similar to Ocean State, featuring everyday items like heaters, fans, food, lawn & garden, rugs, books, and more at up to 70% off name brand prices! Ollie's currently has 3 locations in Connecticut including Manchester, Waterford, and Barkhamstead. The chain has 525 stores nationwide. Look for Ollies to open later this fall/winter! Today I ventured into Old Wethersfield, Connecticut; I have always heard it is the cutest New England Village. I finally had some free time to visit with my friend to check it out.
It is definitely a quaint little village, complete with Old Wethersfield Country Store, an ice cream shop / coffee shop named Main Street Creamery & Cafe, a seed and small produce market called Heirloom Market at Comstock Ferre, many restaurants, museums, a toy store, gift shops, and even a new gelato place called NOCI. It's a great place to spend a day! Make sure you check it out! Have you ever been to Old Wethersfield? What is your favorite store/eatery? Comment Below! 
Connecticut’s first 7 Brew Coffee will open on September 9th!
The new drive thru only coffee shop will open at 905 North Colony Road in Wallingford, on the site of the former Captain Seas restaurant. The coffee shop has plans for new locations in Connecticut including in Vernon! The chain’s iconic buildings are prefabricated and dropped on site when site work is complete. Join them for Community Hours for a free small drink on Monday September 16th-Friday September 20th. Free drinks are from 7am-8am, 12pm-1pm, and 5pm-6pm on those days. Join them for Swag Days on September 21st from 5:30am-11pm, free shirt with large drink purchase. Check out their menu here: https://7brew.com/.../2023/12/7brew_full_menu-scaled.jpg A community theater is coming to Enfield Square Mall. Dionysus Theatre Company will be opening their new home base at the mall. The theatre company will occupy the former Finishline space in the mall, a roughly 4,000 square foot space. They will NOT occupy the former Cinemark space at the mall. The theatre showcases plays throughout the year, also hosts events like workshops and improv classes. The group was housed at Vernon's Art Center East for years before splitting ways last year, the group then occupied a space in Tolland. The theatre will put on 'Describe The Night' in October. Please see the attached flyer and their website for more information. https://dionysustheatrecompany.org/ From Chan Bakeshop will take over Frankie B's Bakery at 6 Wapping Road in Broad Brook, the new owner will be onsite on Monday! From Chan Bakeshop is also coming soon to 50 Berlin Road in Cromwell. The bakeshop will feature American classics, as well as French and Asian pastries. Gourmet coffees and handcrafted drinks will also be on the menu Chan Graham was a pastry chef at Bounom in Avon, later she opened a restaurant at Parkville Market called “Chan Street Fusion” in Hartford. Frankie B’s opened their bakery in February alongside their restaurant in Vernon. 
The new Wilton Chipotle Mexican Grill will open on August 28th!
The new location will be at 14 Danbury Road in Wilton, inside the Gateway Shopping Center. The fast-casual Mexican grill will open inside the former Boston Market space. Chipotle will feature the chain's signature Chipot-lane, mobile order drive thru. Customers can place their orders on the Chipotle app and pick up their order at the convenient pick-up window. The restaurant will be open everyday from 10:45am-10pm. They are still hiring for this location, please visit https://jobs.chipotle.com/.../282/6252001-4831725-4845883/4 to apply! Putnam has a new local bookstore! Wolperdinger Bookends Bookstore has opened their doors in the historic Montgomery Ward building at 112 Main Street in Downtown Putnam! The bookstore replaces Skeeter's Toybox. The store sells traditional book genres for readers from all ages including mystery, romance, biography, self-help, new release best sellers and more. Check out the full story from our friends at Putnam Town Crier & Northeast Ledger here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/9WSkmvq2MqfdP4mz/ 
A new Planet Fitness is planned for New Milford!
The gym is planning to occupy a portion of the former TJ Maxx space at Sunny Valley Shops, 124 Danbury Road. The 24/5 gym would occupy roughly 15,000 square feet of the old TJ Maxx. A new 9,000 +/- square foot space would be carved out for a future tenant. The project is currently going through the bidding phase with construction planned for later this year if all goes to plan. The closest Planet Fitness to New Milford is 11 miles away in Danbury. Planet Fitness is the largest gym chain in the country with over 2,600 locations in the United States. The gym has a 2-tiered membership structure, with a lower priced $15 a month membership with access to your home gym. Or the $30 Black card membership with access to all Planet Fitness gyms and members only areas with tanning, hydro-massage, and massage chairs 
Sally's Apizza will open their new Wethersfield location at 1178 Silas Deane Highway next Thursday, August 29th!
The famous New Haven pizza place will open their doors at The Borden, a mixed-use development in Wethersfield. Sally's will be open for lunch, dinner, and take out seven days a week from 11:30am to 10pm. This will be the pizza shop's first location in the Greater Hartford area. The CT-based chain will open a number of new Hartford-area locations in the next year or two including at Jordan's Furniture in Farmington (at Westfarms), Meadow Commons in Newington, and in South Windsor near The Shops at Evergreen Walk. The chain has more locations planned for Norwalk, Boston Seaport, Dorchester, and Concord. Wethersfield joins their growing list of locations including the OG in New Haven, Stamford, Fairfield, and Woburn, Mass. First look at the new TJ Maxx coming to Guilford Commons in 2025! The new store will occupy roughly 22,000 square feet of space once home to Bed Bath & Beyond. The project is in the sub-contractor bidding phase, with construction bids due October 24th, 2024. No start date for the project was given, though the retailer plans to open sometime in 2025. The plaza will also welcome Old Navy to the plaza sometime in 2025, construction is underway on landlord improvements for the new store. That store is also expected to open sometime in 2024. The TJ Maxx store in Clinton is expected to close once this new location opens. No word yet on what might replace them at Clinton Plaza Shopping Center. 
Crave Hot Dogs & BBQ is planning their first Connecticut location in Avon!
The hotdogs and BBQ chain will open their first Connecticut outpost somewhere in Avon. The chain's menu features bbq meats including brisket, pulled chicken, pulled pork, and ribs. The menu also features hotdogs, salads, bowls, sandwiches, and dessert. The restaurant's sides include fried pickles, corn nuggets, pork tacos. fried, pretzel bits, mac n cheese, tots, potato salad, beans, and more. Check out the full menu here: https://iwantcrave.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/BM-Menu-August-2024.pdf The restaurant has not announced the exact location of the new eatery. It is listed as coming soon on their website, https://iwantcrave.com/connecticut/ Typical Crave's have a self-pour beer wall, TV's, and Axe throwing lanes. The brand recently signed a deal to open new Crave Express locations in Walmarts around the country. The brand was recognized as one of the fastest growing fast-casual restaurants in the market, as well as a Top 100 Mover and Shaker. Stay tuned for more information! Utopia Skate Shop in Norwalk will be closing their doors after 49 years of business. The skate shop is located at 150 Connecticut Avenue in Norwalk. The shop sells skate boards, parts, and apparel. The store's last day will be August 31st. The owner said in a statement: "It is with great sadness that I write this post. After almost 49 years in business UTOPIA has made the very difficult decision to close our doors. Without going into extreme detail - we’ve done absolutely everything we can to try to survive through the changes in commerce and our economy. We live in a digital world, and we simply cannot keep up with the giants of e-commerce. Times have changed, markets are saturated, competition and costs are high. With that being said, Saturday August 31st, 2024 will be our last day open to the public. I speak for everyone here at UTOPIA in saying that although this is an incredibly difficult decision to make, we go with grace. We have been incredibly fortunate for several decades to have had the support and love from our customers all of these years. We never would’ve made it this long without you guys. Keep an eye on our social media because on Monday August 19th we’ll be announcing a massive blowout sale campaign. Again, we are beyond grateful for all of the years of support. It has been an honor to serve the community near and far. We will miss you." Make sure you check them out before they close. 
Chicago Sam’s in Cromwell is becoming Murphy's Pub & Sports Bar- Cromwell.
The popular restaurant and bar will be the second location for Murphy’s Pub in Manchester (formerly Shea's American Grill.) Co-owner of the Manchester location, Jack Maloney, confirmed the plans for the Cromwell location. Chicago Sam’s/Murphy’s Pub is located at 51 Shunpike Road, inside The Shops at Cromwell Square. Chicago Sam’s temporarily closed on July 1st to undergo some ‘changes.’ The restaurant plans to open on September 4th! 
Crunch Fitness at 1392 Berlin Turnpike in Wethersfield will be closing their doors!
The gym is located at Jordan Lane Shopping Center. The gym’s last day of business will be Saturday, August 31st. The gym said in a emailed statement to members: “We would like to thank you for your support and patronage at our location at 1392 Berlin Turnpike, Wethersfield, CT. It has been a privilege to serve your fitness needs. Unfortunately, due to the economic climate and other factors outside of our control, we have made the difficult decision to close this gym at the end of the day on Saturday, August 31, 2024.” Apna Bazar has officially opened their new location at 265 Ellington Road in East Hartford!
The store describes itself as the largest ethnic grocery store in Connecticut; the store occupies 23,323 square feet of space in School Street Square! This is the chain’s 14th location and their first in Connecticut. |
Archives
October 2024
Categories |
RSS Feed