A new Southern-Italian restaurant has been approved (with conditions) for a historic building in Old Wethersfield!

Ortigia Ristorante has been approved for the historic Chester Buckley House at 184 Main Street in Historic Wethersfield. The home was previously as a bed and breakfast. The commission voted 8-1 in favor of the application with conditions.

The approval contained a number of conditions including*:
-No Uber Eats or similar delivery app
-Capacity capped at 65 seats
-Owner to revisit conditions with PZC after 24 months (from Certificate of Occupancy issuance)
-Parking at approved remote lots
-Moving the privacy fence to align with a neighboring property.
*Per the meeting recording, official meeting minutes and approval notice have not been posted.

The restaurant would be an upscale eatery serving Sicilian cuisine, seafood, ever-changing seasonal flavors, and other Southern-Italian favorites. The eatery would be open for lunch and dinner and would create 20 jobs according to their town application. An outdoor patio is planned for the property, though will not feature outdoor music. The restaurant would also host private events, wine nights, and other fun happenings.
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A similar application was reject earlier this year due to scale, parking limitations, and inability to adequately mitigate impacts. Revisions were made to the plans to address some of these concerns; and now the PZC has approved with additional conditions.

A new bakery is coming to East Windsor!

The Scandi Bakery is coming soon to 6 Wapping Road in the Windsorville section of East Windsor. The space was previously home to From Chan Bakeshop and Frankie B’s Bakery.

The new bakeshop is expected to sell a variety of traditional Scandinavian baked goods along with coffee and other drinks.

The new bakery will be owned by Olivia Smith according to town records and building permits. Smith owns the nearby The Scandi Shoppe; a small of shops selling Scandinavian goods, homeware, food, books, vintage items, stationery, and more.

Read more about The Scandi Shoppe here: https://www.theconnecticutscoop.com/.../broad-brook-scoop...
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We’ve reached out to the owner for more details on the opening timeline and a list of their future products. Stay tuned for more info.

Market 32 has opened its newest location in Newington!

The grocery store opened its doors last week at 3333 Berlin Turnpike in Newington, part of the Meadow Commons complex. The store replaces the large-format Price Chopper that previously operated on the Berlin Turnpike.

The new store occupies 43,078 square feet, anchoring the entire development. The space was originally planned to be an Amazon Fresh store, though it sat vacant for years when Amazon delayed and eventually canceled the location.

Market 32 offers all the amenities of the previous Newington Price Chopper store with a new modern facility. You’ll find a bakery, deli, fresh meat & seafood, floral, and cafe department in the new space.

Visit the new store at 3333 Berlin Turnpike in Newington.

The old Price Chopper store is now empty alongside the old Dick’s Sporting Goods store; all for a total of 124,000 square feet of space. No new tenant has been announced but I personally would love to see Wegmans take over that plaza with their chain of large-scale grocery stores.
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What would you like to see open in the old Price Chopper? Comment below!

Plainville is about to get ugly! Ugly Dumpling plans to open a location at Connecticut Commons!

Ugly Dumpling is coming soon to Connecticut Commons at 290 New Britain Avenue in Plainville, occupying over 5,000 square feet of space. The restaurant chain plans to open in the former Charming Charlie space next to Dollar Tree & Xfinity.

The Plainville location will the second Connecticut location behind their Hamden location that opened last year. The eatery is now listed as 'Coming Soon' on their website.

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.
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Stay tuned for more details on their opening. Building permits have not been issued yet for the project so the opening will most likely be sometime in Spring 2027; we will provide an update once a timeline is clear.

A carnival could be coming to The Shoppes at Buckland Hills in September!

MARC, Inc. of Manchester has submitted plans for a carnival to take place at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills in the old Dick's parking lot on September 23rd through September 27th. The carnival would have 17-20 rides, food, games, and more.

The event would be a fundraising activity benefiting MARC, Inc; a Manchester-based organization providing the opportunity for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live meaningful lives of independence, choice, inclusion.

A hearing of the Zoning Board of Appeals will hear the ZBA Special Exception application this Wednesday starting at 7:00pm at Lincoln Center.

​Find the meeting agenda and packet here: https://ecode360.com/MA2034/document/753270192.pdf

The final day of the Mary Cheney Library and the grand opening of the new library have been announced!

Mary Cheney Library will close its doors on Saturday, August 8th. The closure will allow movers to begin to box up and relocate the library’s extensive collection of books ahead of the relocation. Manchester residents can continue to utilize the Whiton Branch Library during the closure. The Whiton branch is located at 100 North Main Street.

The new Manchester Public Library will celebrate its grand opening on Monday September 14th at 1041 Main Street! The new modern library has been under construction since April 2025, replacing a former bank building.
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Check out some photos of the interior of the new library here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1GhqB2Sdyi/?mibextid=wwXIfr

East Hartford Brewing Company closed its doors.

The East Hartford Brewing Company, home of Ten Penny Ale, closed its doors earlier this year. Might be a bit old news, though I just found out while looking for their hours. The brewery was located at 776 Tolland Turnpike in East Hartford, the iconic Burnside Ice building.

A post on their website states: “With much regret, we will not be reopening in 2026. We are grateful for everyone who supported the revival of Ten Penney Ale and the continued support of the last few years. No one knows what the future might hold. We can’t say for certain this is the end of Ten Penny. Our dream and goal was to always keep it alive in some capacity…so for now, good-bye. We hope to see you later.“
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The brewery opened in 2020, reviving the Ten Penny Ale brand from the former Old Burnside Brewing Company that closed in 2018.

A local Indian restaurant has announced its permanent closure at the end of the month.

Utsav Indian Cuisine will be permanently closing their Wethersfield location at 1115 Silas Deane Highway at the end of July. The restaurant is located inside the Wethersfield Shopping Center with TJ Maxx.

If you have a gift card, please redeem it before July 31, 2026, as it will no longer be accepted at this location after the closure. The restaurant does have another location in Vernon that will remain open.
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Stop in before July 31st!

Take a look inside the soon-to-open new library in Downtown Manchester! Thank you to Michael Farina for these photos.

The library is nearly complete with interior fixtures and furniture now being put into place ahead of its open. No official opening date has been announced, but stay tuned!

The new 76,000 square foot, three-story structure includes plenty of space for Manchester’s collection of books and materials, engaging areas for children of all ages, an outdoor green rooftop, interactive teen space, makerspace & audio-visual studio, private study, meeting rooms, and a large community meeting space. The new library will replace the nearby Mary Cheney Library.
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The library will be an anchor in the Downtown area and be a environmentally friendly building. Plans include geothermal heating and cooling systems alongside a rooftop array of solar panels and parking lot solar canopies; becoming the first Net Zero public library in Connecticut.

Pan Sobao Deli has closed its doors as the owner moves towards selling the business.

The restaurant was located at 697 Main Street in Manchester, next door to its sister ice cream shop Creamy Rolls. The Puerto Rican style deli and sandwich shop opened last summer, taking over the former Mexico Lindo space. Creamy Rolls remains open for business.

The restaurant is currently in the process of being sold with a serious buyer wanting to close on the purchase ASAP; though the owner is hoping to find someone who would purchase the business and keep the name & concept. If interested in purchasing, please message their Facebook page.
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Stay tuned for further updates on this restaurant's reopening (under new owners) or a new concept opening in its space.

A new retro arcade is coming soon to Suffield!

Hometown Arcade will be opening its doors at 152 Mountain Road in Suffield this summer, part of the Moutain Road Market Place plaza. They are now eyeing an opening in September.

The new arcade will be a destination for fans of retro and modern gaming, taking the experience to the next level. Renovation work is now underway to convert the former CVS Pharmacy (CVS moved years ago) space into a new venue.

Inside you'll find dozens of games including arcade, pinball, claw machines, along with modern gaming console set ups throughout the space.
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Make sure to follow them at: Hometown Arcade Suffield for more details on their opening later this summer!

A potential business is eyeing the space previously occupied by a popular meat market!

Blade and Bloom LLC is hoping to bring their grab and go meal-prep business to 847 Main Street, the former Newington Meat Market. They currently operate out of a kitchen space in Hartford, preparing meals that are ordered by the customer and delivered to the Newington and Tolland areas.

Blade and Bloom offers a rotating weekly menu and delivers on Mondays. They also offer charcuterie boards and in-home setup of those boards as well as catering. The plan is to open a storefront where customers can quickly stop in to pick up pre-ordered freshly prepared meals. In the store, they will also sell pre-packaged items such as pastas and salads, along with specialty bottled items such as pickles, jam, salsa, sauces dressings, etc.

The owners of Blade and Bloom will go before Town Planning and Zoning for a pre-application hearing next Wednesday, July 22 at 7pm to present their vision. As a reminder, this is only a presentation to commissioners to give an idea of their plan. Minimal changes to the building would happen, with an updated exterior and signage to match their theme.

Visit them on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/bladeandbloommeals/
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Is this something you would like to see in Newington? Comment below!

WeHa Brewing & Roasting Company has announced their pending closure.

The brewery will permanently close its doors at the end of July according to an announcement on its social media. The brewery and coffee shop opened in 2021 at 141 Shield Street in West Hartford.

WeHa Brewing cites unexpected litagration, stagnant sales, and increasing costs as reasons for the closure. They will be open Thursday through Sunday for the final two weekends or until they run out of beer, whichever comes first.

The announcement reads: "We’re saddened to announce that WeHa will be closing its doors at the end of this month. If you have been living under a rock, the craft beer industry has struggled mightily since 2020. We have faced increasing costs (property taxes in West Hartford have skyrocketed since we opened), unexpected litigation and stagnant sales, all of which in one way or another have contributed to the decision to close our doors. We are grateful for your support over the last five years. We wanted to thank our customers, our partners who believed in us, and our employees who always got it done despite less than ideal conditions. We also wanted to thank the insanely talented Magge and her company DRDC Studios as well as Frank, Liz and the entire team at Bigger Beast Records. Please join us for one last pint over the next two weekends. We will be open Thursday through Sunday for the next two weeks or until we run out of beer."
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New England Coffee Guy (the coffee shop located inside WeHa Brewing) is in discussion with the landlord to temporarily extend their lease, but it currently scheduled to close in the location on 07/31. They will continue to operate their mobile cart business and are currently working to build out a wellness cafe & coworking space in Newington.

Manchester’s newest dispensary is NOW OPEN!

High Profile Cannabis Dispensary is now open at 185 Spencer Street in Manchester, the former Ayr Cannabis shop next to Popeyes. The new dispensary offers drive-thru and walk-in service like Ayr previous did.

The dispensary chain has existing locations in Hamden, Stratford, and Canton. Ayr closed in early September 2025 after a year of business. Ayr's parent company filed for bankruptcy and closed a number of their locations; which includes pulling out of Connecticut.

Find them at 185 Spencer Street in Manchester
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They are open:
Monday through Saturday 8am-10pm
Sunday 10am-6pm

Barnes & Noble has announced it will celebrate its grand opening at Westfarms on July 29th at 10am!

The bookstore will be opening in the former Forever 21 space on the lower level. The space has been under renovation since the spring. The new location will feature a selection of books, vinyl, toys/games, and much more.

See their announcement here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17uAYjbXy9/

Barnes & Noble was previously located down the street from Westfarms at 1599 Southeast Road in Farmington. Their previous home is now under extensive renovations for a new slate of tenants including Hannoush Jewelers, Coldstone Creamery, KidStrong, and Goldfish Swim School.

Nike has closed its location at The Shops at Evergreen Walk.

The shoe and athletic apparel store has closed its doors after 3 years of business in the outdoor shopping village. The store was located next to New Balance.

The store is still fully stocked with a sign announcing the closure. The notice states ‘Thank you for visiting. This store has closed.’

The store’s closure comes as Nike realigns its retail footprint, shifting back their focus to distribution to major retailers that they severed in 2021.
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The retailer will continue to operate some of their flagship Nike stores and the majority of their outlets. The South Windsor location was a newer concept of lifestyle-stores focused on ath-leisure to compete with Lululemon and Fabletics.

Work is officially underway on the new Little Wanderers: West Hartford sensory play studio! The new play studio and cafe is aiming for a mid-September opening!

Little Wanderers will be located at 2523 Albany Avenue, part of Bishop's Corner. The play center is located on the lower level near The Paper Store.

The new indoor play center is being designed as a calm, sensory-rich indoor space for young children and their caregivers. They will have sand and sensory area, baby play area, active play area, creative activities, classes, parties, and café seating all under one roof!

The cafe will feature a variety of espresso-based beverages like Americano, cappuccino, lattes, teas, small bites/pastries, and much more!

They are now accepting birthday party bookings for this fall, with the first date of October 3rd. Book online at https://www.thelittlewanderers.com/party
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Stay tuned for more details about this new play-cafe!
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Sally Beauty Supply is moving out and Nothing Bundt Cakes is moving in!

The beauty supply store will be relocating its Manchester store from 1500 Pleasant Valley Road at The Plaza at Buckland Hills to the former GNC space at 1131 Tolland Turnpike at The Plaza at Burr Corners on the opposite side of Interstate 84.

The space at The Plaza at Buckland Hills won't be empty for long. Nothing Bundt Cakes will be opening a new bakery in the space once its vacant! The chain sells a variety of Bundt cakes, Bundtlets (cupcake sized), Bundtinis (bite sized), Gluten Free Bundt Cakes, and much more!
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No moving timeline was immediately available for Sally Beauty Supply, nor has an opening timeline been announced for Nothing Bundt Cakes. Stay tuned for more updates!

Progression Brewing Company Bar & Kitchen will open its doors on July 15th at 3pm at 300 West Main Street in Avon, the former Tri-It Taproom space behind DORO Marketplace.

”From day one in Northampton, Progression was about more than beer – it was about community, conversation, and creating a space where everyone feels welcome,” said a company spokesperson. “With Progression Taproom Bar & Kitchen in Avon, we’re excited to bring that same energy a little closer to people in Connecticut, with fresh beer, a scratch-driven menu, and the kind of service that keeps guests coming back.”

The Avon taproom will feature an ever-changing rotation of Progression’s signature and seasonal beers, including fan-favorite hazy New England IPAs like “Cape Time,” “Connect the Dots,” and “Evolve,” along with double IPAs, pale ales, and richer seasonal styles. Taproom visitors will be able to enjoy pints, flights, and cans in a comfortable taproom setting, echoing the spacious, laidback feel of the original Pearl Street brewery in Northampton. With their extensive beer and non-alcoholic drink program, the new taproom will have an approachable and well-paired menu including pizza, sandwiches, paninis, and other shareable bar bites.

Look for the taproom to host fun events like Trivia, live music, fun experiences, and other great events! Becoming a hub for locals and professionals to enjoy a relaxing but adventurous night out!

A new dining option has opened in West Hartford!

Fat Duck Tavern is NOW OPEN at 69 Memorial Road in West Hartford, the former Vinted Wine Bar at Blue Back Square! The eatery opened on Thursday.

The new tavern is where elevated comfort food meets warm hospitality and atmosphere; with some cool duck-related decor. The menu features creative American cuisine inspired by global flavors featuring the freshest ingredients and thoughtfully sourced meats. Fat Duck Tavern offers a relaxed yet sophisticated atmosphere perfect for any occasion.

On their menu you'll find their signature duck dishes, hand-cut steaks, fresh seafood, craft cocktails, an extensive collection of wines, and much more. Find their menu online at https://fatducktavern.com/

This is the second location for the tavern. They opened their first location in Madison in 2025; quickly becoming a fan-favorite on the Connecticut shoreline. They have now brought their concept to the heart of West Hartford!

Find them at 69 Memorial Road in West Hartford
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They are open:
Monday through Friday 3pm-9pm
Saturday & Sunday 11am-9pm

Carlito's Bakery has announced the final day of business.

The bakery's last day open to the public will be Friday July 31st, 2026. Cake orders booked for August as still secure and will be fulfilled. They are still accepting cake orders for August, the final day to order is July 30th.

The Puerto Rican bakery opened 8 years ago at 73A Tolland Turnpike in Manchester, in the same plaza at Star Hardware. The bake shop is family owned and operated.

Carlito’s Bakery offers a variety of freshly baked pastries, cookies, and much more! They became well known for their breakfast and lunch sandwiches as well as their custom cakes.

Stop in and support them before July 31st!

DORO Marketplace has received a key approval for their new Enfield location!

The application received an administrative approval for outdoor seating at the July 9th meeting of the Planning & Zoning Commission. Plans and drawings have now been submitted to the town's building department for permit, construction should begin soon after a permit is issued!

The new bakery will be located at 98 Elm Street in Enfield, in the same building as Zen Leaf Dispensary. The bakery will take over 2 empty spaces next to Zen Leaf; renovating the space to include a new commercial kitchen, a 76-seat dining room, and a new outdoor patio.

DORO Marketplace is a cafe and bakery serving coffee, espresso, tea, freshly made pastries, sandwiches, breads, cinnamon rolls, and much more. The locally owned chain currently has 6 locations with plans for more in the future; they are located in Wethersfield, West Hartford, Windsor Locks, Old Saybrook, Plainville, and Avon. Other future locations include Glastonbury & South Windsor.
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DORO Marketplace is owned by DORO Restaurant Group; they also own Casadoro, Avert, Treva, Zohara, Artisinal Burger Company, and No Mames Mexican Cantina.