F45 Training Newington will be having a Grand Opening/Ribbon Cutting with the Newington Chamber of Commerce on Friday, March 8 at 9AM! F45 offers specialized fitness classes and training in a modern facility.

F45 is located at 30C Fenn Road in the Stop and Shop plaza. They join Salsa Fresca Mexican Grill and Shah's Halal Food as the newest tenants to the shopping center. You can find out more about F45 by visiting them at their website: 
​https://f45training.com/studio/newington/?fbclid=IwAR1aU5-dn4aGxAtdxZOjdB_eCYhWjSqTwtzzyVGxUhcNWYQWG8SRofH2TPY

The opening of LaserMaxx at 3005 Berlin Turnpike has been tentatively scheduled for the end of March. A new Facebook post indicated the date was originally slated for late February, but several circumstances put the opening on hold. LaserMaxx is replacing the former Laser Quest, which had occupied the same space for many years. Check them out at www.lasermaxxnewington.com

Stay with The Newington Scoop for more opening dates soon to the announced!

Shah's Halal Food will begin their "soft" opening beginning today (2/24) at 11AM! They are located at 26 Fenn Road in the Stop and Shop plaza. We first reported their intent to open in town back in September. Shah's is based out of Queens, NY. They currently have 5 CT locations (2 in Stamford, 1 each in Norwalk, Orange and also Middletown), as well as dozens in their home state. They specialize in grilled chicken and lamb platters, gyros, salads and more! Check them out this weekend! Their temporary hours will be 11AM-9PM daily until further notice. See their website for more information: www.shahshalalfood.com

In nearby New Britain where Newington meets three other towns, Popeyes recently opened at Brittany West Plaza at 587 Hartford Road! We have also been keeping an eye on this development as it is close by. Popeyes is a fast-food restaurant specializing in Louisiana style fried chicken. Visit their website at www.popeyes.com
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Will you be trying these new restaurants? What do you plan on ordering? Let us know in the comments.

Salsa Fresca Mexican Grill is now open at 12A Fenn Road in Newington! The fast casual Mexican restaurant opened to the public yesterday! The restaurant features burritos, nachos, bowls, quesadillas, and more!

The chain currently has 16 locations, 5 of which are in CT. The restaurant has 2 more Connecticut locations coming soon in Manchester and Avon! You can check out the whole menu on their website at https://www.salsafrescagrill.com/menu3
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Will you be visiting soon? If you already have, what did you get? Comment below?

The Pearson Events Venue recently opened at 2590 Berlin Turnpike, in Berlin, CT. Sisters Keeya Holley and Sulena Lindsey are New Britain natives who came together after working in the events business to open the new, beautiful space!

Both Holley and Lindsey got their start in the business back in 2018, owning Camp F.L.Y Slumber Parties and Events. They set up luxury picnics, slumber parties and glamping parties at client’s homes or locations such as parks and beaches. Both women have always had an eye for design and grew up fascinated by watching home design programs. Their passion shows in their work!

While it had been a dream of the sisters to open an event venue for years, it took time and effort to find the perfect location. COVID also slowed the search. When they finally found the space, which had been vacant for years, they had a lot of work to do. Their realtor, Rob Betz, turned into their contractor and got to work on transforming a blank canvas into a premier event destination. Renovations took roughly 2 months to complete. Highlights included new flooring, restrooms, and a mini bar! They hosted their first event back in October; a 60th birthday party!

Although they generally host private events, they also encourage the community to use the space for group meetings, workshops, and fundraisers, to name a few. They hope to connect with the community in other ways. They hosted a public event this past holiday season, “Cookies with Santa and the Grinch” and are looking to do other similar events such as a collecting diapers for teen moms, as well as vendor events and workshops for small business owners.

Keeya and Sulena named The Pearson after their late grandfather, William Pearson. They feel his presence every time they are in the new facility. They hope that clients will use their space to create memories that will last for years to come! So far, they have hosted baby showers, birthday parties, game nights, a repass and most recently, a Daddy-Daughter dance! The space can seat up to 60 people and hold a total of 127 people total.

Join them for their Ribbon Cutting on Thursday, February 22, 2024 at 6PM!

For more information on The Pearson Events Venue:
Website: www.thepearsoneventsvenue.com
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepearsoneventsvenue/?hl=en
To learn about their other business, Camp F.L.Y Slumber Parties and Events:
Website: www.campflyslumberparties.com
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/campf.l.y
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**SPECIAL PROMOTION FOR THE NEWINGTON SCOOP FOLLOWERS**
Mention that you saw this feature story on The Newington Scoop and receive 10% off the venue rental price!

Civility Home Care - Newington (81 Market Square, Newington) has rescheduled their Grand Opening/Ribbon Cutting to this Friday, February 16 at 1pm. Join the celebration at their new office! They offer several important services. Visit their Facebook page to learn more about what they do!

The Pearson Events Venue (2590 Berlin Turnpike, Berlin) will hold their Grand Opening/Ribbon Cutting on Thursday, February 22 at 5pm! They are a new event hall in a beautiful space with a personal story behind the new venue (which will be featured on The Newington Scoop soon)!

A bit late, but according to a post on Instagram, Hey You Tattoo! recently opened on February 2 at 127 Fenn Road, Newington in Fenn Road Plaza, the former Dream Bath & Kitchen space. Two local tattoo artists teamed up to open the shop! Check them out!

Also, another recent ribbon cutting ceremony was celebrated for Hop Häus Berlin at 9 Steele Boulevard, Berlin! This is their 4th location. They had opened last year.
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Stay tuned for more opening announcements from both Newington and Berlin! If you are opening a business or know of someone who is, we'd love to know so we can feature them on The Newington Scoop! Email us at [email protected].

Studio 10 Hair & Nail Salon, LLC will be holding their Grand Opening celebration tomorrow (2/10) from 4-6PM!

They are located at 10 Steele Boulevard, Suite 5. Complimentary Hors D'oeuvres will be served by their neighbor, Hop Häus Berlin! Stop by to see their new space!

Congrats!

Hartford Therapeutic Massage & Wellness Center LLC has moved their office from 500 Talcottville Road in Vernon to 1268 Main Street, Suite 106 in Newington!
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They offer massage therapy services, and in particular for those suffering emotional and physical trauma.
You can book an appointment online and learn more about the business here:
https://www.massagebook.com/.../HartfordTherapeuticMassag...

The business was previously located at 500 Talcottville Road in Vernon for nearly 2 years. The practice was originally located in Hartford. 

Kensington Market, located at 1014 Farmington Avenue, is currently closed due to a fire that caused some damage to the storefront early Saturday morning (2/3/24).

The owners took to social media offering thanks and gratitude to the community for their support and outreach during this time. They also stated that they hope to reopen in the coming weeks after repairs.
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Kensington Market opened in 1997 and has become a local staple for Italian specialties, meats, platters, groceries and more. They also do Catering.

Pokémoto has closed their Berlin location, located at 224 Berlin Turnpike, just over the Newington line.
A sign on their door states they are currently closed for remodeling. However, Berlin is no longer listed on the Pokemoto corporate site (the same scenario happened with their West Hartford location). We reached out to corporate for comment and have not heard back.

Further research also finds that their space is now listed for lease: https://www.loopnet.com/.../224-Berlin-Tpke.../30042121/ .

The closest location is Middletown. Click the following link to see more Connecticut locations remaining open: https://www.pokemoto.com/locations#Connecticut
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Did you get to try Pokemoto? Are you disappointed to see them close? Let us know in the comments below.

Halal Munchies is coming soon to Berlin! They will be located at 1943 Berlin Turnpike in the plaza with Heritage Package Store and Elle Nails and Spa!

Halal Munchies has an Instagram account which states the business as "coming soon". A new sign was recently installed on the building. They appear to be a chain of restaurants with several locations in the Long Island area. Berlin will be their first Connecticut location!

They offer Gyros, Platters, Sandwiches, Wings and more! No opening date has been set.
Visit them on the web at https://eathalalmunchies.com/
​ and on their Instagram https://www.instagram.com/halalmunchies786/?hl=en to find out more.