The Bear’s Den is coming soon to Granby! The new pub will be located at 18R Hartford Avenue, the former Four Dad’s Pub space.

The new pub is aiming for a May 1st opening; and will be owned by 2 Granby residents. The new owners plan is to create a cozy cocktail experience with your favorite flavors and new twists on pub staples.
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Make sure you follow them on Facebook for the latest updates!

DORO Restaurant Group, owners of a plethora of trendy restaurants around Connecticut, will be expanding into 3 towns with new restaurants! The restaurant group will open new restaurants in Wethersfield, Newington, and 2 in Glastonbury! 

DORO Restaurant Group will be expanding into Glastonbury with 2 new restaurants! The restaurant group will open a new location of DORO Marketplace, a bakery & coffee shop, and a location of Zohara, a Mediterranean restaurant. Both restaurants will occupy 2343 and 2345 Main Street, a former bicycle shop. Plans are moving forward with a Q1 2025 opening anticipated for both restaurants. 

DORO Restaurant Group will be building a new commissary kitchen and Mexican restaurant in Wethersfield! The space was previously home to BEVMax and Pasta Vita. The new restaurant concept will be a Mexican-style cuisine headed by their head chef from Avert. The commissary kitchen will be for their restaurant and could support at least 12 DORO Marketplaces in the future. 

DORO Restaurant Group will also be expanding into Newington! We broke the Scoop that the restaurant group has taken over the former Bertucci's space with a plan to open a new Italian restaurant. Construction is expected to begin soon with a planned late fall opening for the new restaurant.

These restaurant join DORO's existing restaurants including 3 DORO Marketplaces, AVERT, Zohara, Treva, and Artisanal Burger Company, Artisanal Burger Company in Manchester is currently ungoing an expansion of the patio to include a larger space and bocci ball courts. The restaurant group plans further expansion of their brands in the future. 

Epic Health and Fitness Windsor Locks will be opening their doors on April 13th according to the owner! The new gym is located inside Dexter's Plaza, home of Ocean State Job Lot, Autozone, and more.

The new 13,000 square foot gym will feature the latest in gym equipment, 24/7 access, and so much more. The gym replaces Main Street Used Furniture's space and Monster Mini-Golf before them.

The owner said in a statement: "Born and raised in Connecticut, nothing makes us more proud than to build a gym for the community. We hope to take what we learned over the past 25+ years of training/competing and applying it in our gym. This isn’t just a business, it’s our dream"
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Make sure to check out this great gym when they open this month! Memberships are $39.99 a month, more information can be found at their website: https://epichealthandfitness.com/windsor-locks-ct/

A number of stores are closing their doors at Waterbury's Brass Mill Center. The mall has struggled in recent years since Brookfield Properties sold the mall.

-Rainbow, a womens and childrens clothing store, will be closing their doors in mid-April according to staff at the store. The store is located on the first floor.

-Pretzel Maker has closed their restaurant at the mall. Pretzel Maker was located on the first floor of the mall.

-Bath & Body Works will be relocating their store out of the mall, the store will relocate to Waterbury Plaza on Chase Avenue later this year. Check out that story here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=463391436263980&set=pb.100077793833813.-2207520000&type=3

-Ardene and Track23 recently closed their stores as we had previously reported. The stores both closed last month.

-The mall has been trying to turn the tide, annoucing the addition of Apple Cinemas (to replace the former Regal Cinema), Bagel Factory Deli & Coffee opened a new location, and Ashley Furniture Outlet has opened an outpost in the former Macy's. A new spot called Island Spice is now coming soon as well!

Do you think this mall can turn things around? Stay tuned for a full post on the mall with some interior pictures.

We are getting a first look at the new L.L.Bean opening this fall at Brookside Plaza in Enfield!

The new store will replace Bed Bath & Beyond in the plaza. The plans show the removal of the existing store facade and construction of a new facade to match L.L.Bean's newest prototype.

The store will be nearly 25,000 square feet; larger than the chain's latest stores. The chain opened new stores in Hanover and Peabody Mass last year. The chain recently closed their store on Broadway in New Haven. The retailer has plans for another CT locations in the future according to one of our sources.
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Where would you like to see them next? Comment below! Share the news with your outdoorsy friends!

Totsy Turvy Cafe and Play is coming soon to Wilton! The new venture will combine a coffee shop with a children's play center!

The new center will be located at 101 Old Ridgefield Road at the Town Green at Wilton Center! The new cafe will feature an indoor treehouse, playhouses, and more.

The cafe menu will serve espresso drinks including cappuchinos, lattes, americanos; as well as drip coffee, teas, and smoothies. The center has an anticipated opening date of May 15th.
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Check out their website for open play pricing and passes: www.totsyturvycafeandplay.fun

A number of new tenants have been identified in an updated lease plan for the new The Shops at Stonebridge shopping center in Cheshire! The center is planned to be anchored by Whole Foods, TJ Maxx, and have eateries Birdcode and Chipotle.

-Saybrook Home, a furniture and home decor store from Old Saybrook will be opening their third location in Cheshire! The store has another location in Glastonbury they opened last year. Check them out here: https://saybrookhome.com/

-Mercato Italian Kitchen, a restaurant concept from Market Hospitality Group, will be opening their fourth location in the plaza! The Italian restaurant features traditional favorites with some American favorites. Check them out here: https://mercatoitaliankitchen.com/

-Marketplace, another restaurant concept from Market Hospitality Group, will be opening next door to their sister restaurant in the plaza! The restaurant currently has 5 locations with more planned. Check them out here: https://marketplacekitchenbar.com/

-Choice Pet Supply, a chain of pet supply stores, will be opening their 20th location at the shopping center. The store will open next door to Whole Foods. Check them out here: https://choicepet.com/
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The development will be located at the junction of Route 10 & I-691. At least 4 more businesses have signed 'Letters of Intent' with a lease pending at the plaza. A Starbucks is expected to be apart of the development, though not formally announced or identified yet.