CASA Grille will be opening their doors this Saturday, September 28th, from 12-6pm!

The new halal Mexican restaurant will be located at 49 Deforest Street in Watertown, the former CaraBeans Cafe space.

The restaurant will serve traditional Mexican food prepared with Halal methods! Make sure you check them out this Saturday! Find their menu attached in the pictures!
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Check out their website here: https://casagrillect.com/

Square Peg Pizzeria will be opening their first location outside of Connecticut this fall, along with 2 new Connecticut locations soon!

The chain of pizza shops will open a location in Delray Beach, Florida this fall! The new shop will be located at 4957 West Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach.

The chain will also add new outposts in Shelton and Columbia, Connecticut! The Columbia location is expected to open at 164 Route 66 according to business filings with the State. An exact location for the Shelton location is not known.

This will be their 7th location overall, including their full line shops in Glastonbury, Vernon, Storrs, and Plainville; along with their locations inside Montana Nights in Newington and The Truck Bar in Berlin. The pizza shops usually include a large bar, arcade games, and a dining room.

The chain opened in Glastonbury in 2019, serving neo-Neapolitan style pizza and other Italian foods. The chain expanded to Vernon and Storrs in 2023, and Plainville earlier this year. Check out their menu here: https://www.squarepegpizzeria.com/menu-storrs

The chain previously operated locations inside Odin’s Keep Axe Throwing in Enfield, The Truck Bar in Higganum, and Montana Nights in Orange. It’s unclear when these locations closed.
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Where would you like to see Square Peg open next?

Chipotle Mexican Grill will officially open their new Mansfield location on Monday, September 30th at 10:45am!

The new restaurant will be located at 96 Storrs Road, in a new multi-tenant building with Five Guys and Aspen Dental. The new Chipotle will feature a Chipot-lane, a mobile order pickup drive thru.

The new Chipotle will be open daily from 10:45am - 10:00pm. This Chipotle will be featuring the new Mexican-inspired Smoked Brisket, for a limited time only.

Chipotle is expected to employ 30 people for the new location. They are still hiring, you can apply here: https://jobs.chipotle.com/.../crew-member/282/69911574160

Chipotle will soon be joined by Five Guys. The burger chain plans to open in late October; we have heard October 28th but have been unable to verify the date with corporate. We will post once a day is officially set! Aspen Dental also opened in the plaza earlier this summer.
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Make sure you check them out on Monday!

Mamajuana Cafe will be opening their doors in Waterbury tomorrow, Tuesday 09/24, at 3pm!

The new eatery will open their doors at 950 Wolcott Street in Waterbury, an outparcel to Naugatuck Valley Shopping Center. The cafe is part of a chain of upscale Latin restaurants around the country. This will be their 10th location according to their website.

Check out their menu here: https://mamajuana-cafe.com/menu/dinner/
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The restaurant has been under construction for months, replacing Red Crab Seafood and Ninety Nine in the plaza.

Staples in Waterbury will be closing their doors this November. The store is located in the Naugatuck Valley Shopping Center, 910 Wolcott Road.

An employee confirmed the store’s pending closure. Store closing sales have begun and are expected to last until November 8th; when the store permanently closes their doors. The reason for the closure was not immediately available.

The shopping center has lost a number of tenants in pat years including Stop & Shop, 365 Tag, Bob’s Stores (final weeks), and Red Crab.
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Staples has 29 stores in Connecticut, the closest store will be in Watertown or Southington once this location closes.

L.L.Bean has opened their doors for their soft opening in Enfield! The store is located at 10 Hazard Avenue in Enfield, Brookside Plaza.

The store will be open 12pm-6pm from now until their grand opening on October 4th and 5th. The store will be open 9am-9pm normally.
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Make sure you check them out! Their outlet store will open later this fall in Southington at 835 Queen Street, check out that story here: http://www.theconnecticutscoop.com/.../southington-scoop...

The Lucky Gut Collective is coming soon to Simsbury!

The new business will be located at 10 Wilcox Street in Simsbury, the former Roux Cajun Eatery at Fiddler's Green Shops & Restaurants.

The Lucky Gut Collective will be a unique health-focused space featuring a local market, a kitchen for cooking classes, a rentable commercial kitchen, and workshop spaces to help incubate small businesses. Check out their website here for more information: http://www.luckygut.co/
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Look for them to open this fall!

There are a number of new businesses coming to Willimantic! Check out the latest below!

-Mofongo Restaurant, a Puerto Rican eatery, will be opening in the former Friendly's at 1405 Main Street. The eatery plans to open in Mid-November. The restaurant will be 2,100 square feet, with seating for 30 to 40 people serving popular Puerto Rican and American cuisine! Check out their website here: https://www.mofongorestaurant.com/

-Good Times Coffee House is coming soon to 1548 West Main Street! The coffee shop will open in the former Blondie's Pizza space next door to Fine Fettle. The coffee shop will have their grand opening on October 26th! Make sure you check them out!

-Hartford Healthcare / Go Health Urgent Care is coming soon to 1315 Main Street, the former EbLens Store. The urgent care center will be joining Planet Fitness, Dollar Tree, and Moe's Southwest Grill in the plaza. No timeline for their opening has been announced.
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-ICYMI Ollie's Bargain Outlet is coming soon to Willimantic Plaza at 1589-1601 West Main Street. The store will occupy the former Ocean State Job Lot space. Look for them to open this fall/winter. Read that full story here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/P3AR3srCGVC54sQA/

Bright Light Diner will be opening their doors tomorrow (09/23) at 6am! The new diner will be located at 33 East Street in Plainville.

The former Burger King-turned Hibachi/Thai restaurant has been completely transformed into a beautiful diner. The diner will serve traditional diner foods including breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

Note: The restaurant will be cash-only for at-least their first day of business while their credit card systems are set up.

The restaurant is owned by Plainville residents Fernando Hernandez and Rosie Fransisco, Mexican immigrants that came to the US in search of the American Dream! Fernando has previously ran the kitchen at Pagliacci’s in Plainville, while Rosie worked at Fancy Bagel in Farmington.
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Make sure you stop by and give them a try! They are open tomorrow 6am-9pm!

SNIPES USA, one of the largest sneaker and urban-wear chains in the world, is coming soon to Bristol!

Snipes has signed a lease for the former Payless Shoesource space at Bristol Plaza, between Five Below and Dollar Tree. The plaza is located at 641 Farmington Avenue in Bristol.

The store will occupy 7,489 square feet of space. A timeline for the store’s opening was not immediately available.
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This will be the chain’s 17th Connecticut location, with other locations in Manchester, East Hartford, West Hartford, Bloomfield, Danbury, Bridgeport, Hamden, Hartford, Farmington, East Haven, New Haven, Stamford, Trumbull, Waterbury, West Haven, and Milford. The chain expanded heavily in CT when EbLens stores closed last year, Snipes leased a majority their former spaces and reopened.​

Kanoon restaurant is now open in Waterbury!

The new halal smokehouse is located at 91 Scott Road in Waterbury, the former Nino's Restaurant. The restaurant serves Middle-Eastern cuisine, as well as a large variety of smoked meats like lamb, chicken, beef, and more.

Check out their full menu here and in the pictures below: https://kanoonrestaurants.com/connecticut/

The restaurant has 2 other locations in the United States, one in Clifton, NJ and the other in Brunswick, NJ. This is their first location in Connecticut.

Check out our previous post here: www.theconnecticutscoop.com/connecticutscoop/waterbury-scoop-new-restaurants-coming-soon

The Shed Restaurant will officially open their location at Mohegan Sun on October 9th!

The Shed Restaurant will be located in the Casino of the Earth, adjacent to Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, The eatery is owned by Ballo, an Italian restaurant at Mohegan Sun owned by John J. Tunney III.

The restaurant describes itself as "A bright take on American Comfort Food and features a scratch kitchen with a robust list of specialty brunch, lunch and dinner menu items — from the indulgent to the healthful — seven days a week. The Shed has become the favorite daily and weekend hotspot spot for all ages. The Shed's enticing Brunch, Lunch & Dinner menus are only made better by the ultra-friendly team and rustic beach-chic ambiance."

The restaurant is replacing Fidelia's Market Foot Court next to Frank Pepe's. The restaurant has completely transformed the area for the new restaurant including new theming and a large pergola into the atrium. The restaurant joins The Craft Slice, the casino's new pizza place that recently opened. Beauty & Essex will also be joining the line up this holiday season.

The Shed has existing location in New York including West Sayville, Huntington, Plainview, and Westbury! John Tunney ownes Ballo Italian at Mohegan Sun, as well as the Besito chain of restaurants.
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Check out The Shed's menu here: https://www.intheshed.com/mohegansun

Barista Cafe is NOW OPEN in East Windsor! The new coffee shop has opened in the old Baker & The Brew space at 2 North Road, Sofia's Plaza.

The coffee shop features a beautiful dining room, as well as a drive thru! The menu has the typical espresso-based coffees including cappuccino, macchiato, ristretto; as well as drip coffee, teas, iced coffee, lemonade, and more.

The cafe has a delicous food menu including waffles, bagels, sandwiches, avocado toast, croissants, and other pastries. The cafe serves lunch as well including various sandwiches, wraps, paninis, and salads. For dessert, the restaurant serves various gelatos!

Check out their menu here: https://baristacafesuffield.com/menu/ Make sure you check them out at 2 North Road in East Windsor! Their existing location at 66 North Main Street in Suffield remains open as well!

Hours are Monday - Friday 6:30 AM - 2:30 PM
Saturday 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM.
​Lunch sandwiches will be offered starting next week and hours will be expanded including being open on Sundays after a few weeks, when hiring is completed.

The Abner Hotel is now open in the historic Litchfield County Courthouse building at 15 West Street in Downtown Litchfield!

The new boutique hotel features 20 guest-rooms, a restaurant called The Courtroom, and a rooftop bar called The Verdict! I've attached menus for both in the pictures! The building has been beautifully renovated and restored.

The building was originally home to the Litchfield County Courthouse, built in the late 1800s. The courthouse relocated to a new complex in 2017 and Lexington Partners LLC (in partnership with Salt Hotels) brought the building back to life!
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The hotel and restaurant officially opened to the public on September 12th! Find more information on booking a room and hours on their website here: https://www.theabnerhotel.com/ Check them out at 15 West Street in Downtown Litchfield!

The former Christmas Tree Shops at Danbury Square in Danbury has a new tenant!

Hobby Lobby has leased the former Christmas Tree Shops space in the plaza. The arts & crafts store will occupy 47,555 square feet of space. The store is the latest tenant in the plaza, other recent additions include Boost Bowls, EMS (now closing), and soon-to-be Elicit Brewing Co.

Hobby Lobby is on an expansion spree in Connecticut including a new location in Norwalk and the relocation of their Manchester store to the former Christmas Tree Shops. The store currently has locations in Bristol, Manchester, Milford, and East Haven.
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The Christmas Tree Shops space has sat empty since the discount retailer liquidated their stores in 2023.
No timeline has been announced for the store.

A new development is being proposed for 33 North River Street in Enfield!

Honeycomb Real Estate Partners and Grava Partners are proposing a new development at 33 North River Street in the Thompsonvile section of town. The development would be situated between the amtrak rail line and the Connecticut River waterfront.

The new high-density development would feature between 150 and 350 apartments with modern amenities, enhanced transit options (through the new train station), and new public amenities. The new complex would be located adjacent to the new Enfield train station and would redevelopment an existing contaminated ex-industrial site. Phase 2 of the project would be the addition of more apartments, as well as new retail / restaurant space.

The development is still subject to all local approvals. The project was presented to the Town Council last night, 09/17. The developers asked the town to sponsor their Brownfield grant application for the clean up of the site ahead of the development. A formal application of the project for Planning and Zoning approval has not been submitted.
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The development is spearheaded by Grava Partners, the developers behind Founders Square in Windsor. Founders Square is currently under construction in downtown Windsor, transforming a dated shopping center into a new mixed-use development.

Capri's Cuisine is closing their doors after 9 years of business.

The restaurant was located at 170 Main Street in Norwalk. They served dozens of varieties of empanadas as well as authetic Uruguayan coffee & pastries!

The restaurant was not able to reach a new lease agreement with the landlord, the building sold last year to a new owner.

The restaurant will only be open for pre-orders for pick up on Fridays and Saturdays until their last day on October 3rd. Orders can be place at https://capris-empanadas.square.site or by phone at 203-274-1485.
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The restaurant opened in 2015 and quickly became a neighborhood favorite. The restaurant served Uruguayan cuisine and pastries. Their last day for pickup is October 3rd.

A new Indian restaurant is coming soon to Rocky Hill!

Masalaa Indian Cuisine is coming soon to 1860 Silas Deane Highway in Rocky Hill. The space was recently home to Marina Indian Restaurant that recently closed, and was a location of Priya Indian Cuisine previously.

The restaurant will serve traditional Indian cuisine like its predecessor. Renovations are underway for the new restaurant.
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A timeline for the restaurant’s opening was not immediately available. Stay tuned!

Club Pickleball will have their soft opening this weekend at Meriden Mall! The club opens at 10am on Saturday 09/14!

The new pickleball club features 6 professionally designed and built courts. The faciity is located on the second level of the mall in the former Old Navy space. The space was also previously used as a temporary library.
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Membership for the pickleball facility is current $40 a month or $360 annually. Membership gets you discounts on court rentals, open play, leagues, and more.

Join the club and book your courts here: https://app.courtreserve.com/Online/Reservations/Index/13121

Metro Mattress has closed a number of Connecticut locations! The mattress chain filed for bankruptcy on September 4th with plans to leave the New England Market in its entirety.
Metro Mattress has closed their stores in:
-Newington, at 3475 Berlin Turnpike
-Manchester, at 1131 Tolland Turnpike
-Clinton, at 21 Killingworth Turnpike
-Southington, at 750 Queen Street
-Westport, at 1439 Post Road East
-Greenwich, at 17 East Putnam Avenue
-Avon, at 60 East Main Street
-Shelton, at 769 Bridgeport Avenue
-Danbury, at 132 Federal Road

The chain only lists 3 CT locations still open as of this post including:
-Newington, at 3153 Berlin Turnpike
-North Haven, at 410 Universal Drive North
-Orange, at 507 Boston Post Road
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It is unclear when these remaining stores plan to close. The chain expanded rapidly into Connecticut in 2022, with the first location opening in Greenwich, followed by the remaining 12. The chain had at least one location under construction in CT, part of a new development in Lisbon. This location is now canceled.

Ocean State Job Lot will be closing their location in Groton. The store is located at 941 Poquonnock Road, inside the Groton Shoppers Mart.

The store has been located in Groton for 21 years. Ocean State Job Lot opted to not renew their lease due to unfavorable lease terms. All employees have been offered positions at the company’s other area stores.

The store closing sale began yesterday (09/12), the entire store is 30% off (some exceptions apply.) Ocean State Job Lot encourages shoppers to visit their other locations in Gales Ferry and Waterford.

“We appreciate the community’s support over the last 21 years, and thank each of our valued associates who have helped to make the Groton store successful. As a thank you to our loyal customers before we close this location, we are pleased to offer the community a 30-percent sale storewide with a few exceptions,” said John Conforti, Chief Financial Officer, Ocean State Job Lot. 
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The store is expected to close in mid-October, an exact closing date was not immediately available.

Barnes & Noble is coming soon to Cheshire in The Shops at Stonebridge!

Barnes & Noble has leased an 18,000 square foot space next to TJ Maxx in the new development! The store will act as a junior anchor in the new development that features Whole Foods, Saybrook Home, TJ Maxx, Mercato, Marketplace Grill, and many others!

Also signing onto the development is Harvey & Lewis Opticians that will occupy 2,800 square feet. Club Pilates is also in negotiations to open in the development.

Barnes & Noble has an area location in Meriden that opened in March at Townline Square. This will be the 14th Barnes & Noble store in Connecticut, not including Barnes & Noble College Bookstores in Hartford and Storrs.
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No opening date has been announced for the new location, tenants in the development are expected to start opening next year.

Two new entertainment attractions are coming to Putnam, one opening next week!

Montana Nights Axe Throwing will be opening the doors of their new location at 50 Providence Pike on September 19th! The axe throwing facility will occupy a portion of the former Big Lots store (next to Runnings). The facility will house axe throwing lanes, a bar, and arcade! This is the fourth location of the CT-based chain, with other locations in Southington, Newington, and Orange.
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A new children's entertainment center is planned for the remaining portion of the former Big Lots at 50 Providence Pike! The new center would feature trampolines, a ninja-course, multi-sport court, and jungle gym. The project is still subject to local approvals. An estimated opening date was not immediately availabe. Read more about this project from our friends at Putnam Town Crier & Northeast Ledger here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/jiYm2vhFhBb7pGuw/

A new craft kitchen and simulator bar is coming to Farmington!

Stadium XV CT is coming soon to UpHouse, an apartment development at 15 Farm Springs Road in Farmington. UpHouse is the redevelopment of the former Marriott hotel in Farmington.

The new restaurant will feature 3 simulators featuring a variety of interactive virtual sports games. The restaurant will have a large dining room, with seating for 138 patrons, and an outdoor patio!

The restaurant will be open to the general public, with a main entrance from the parking lot, as well as an entrance from the complex's lobby. The restaurant outlines there menu as: "craft burgers and street tacos, dig into shareable apps, sip on Instagram-worthy crazy shakes."
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Look for them to open this fall!

Carter's will be relocating their Norwalk location to The Sono Collection!

The baby and children clothing store will relocate from the Strawberry Hill Shopping Center at 542 Westport Avenue to 100 North Water Street inside The Sono Collection mall.

Carter's will be opening on the third level between American Eagle and Hollister. The new store is listed as coming soon on the mall's website.
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Carter's will join a growing list of mall main-stays that will be joining The Sono Collection including Hot Topic (opening on the top floor) and Gamestop (opening on second level.) Both stores are expected to open this fall. The mall welcomed other mall staples including Starbucks, Haagen-Daaz, Charlotte Russe, and Miniso is recent years.