Center Scoop is temporarily closed but will soon reopen under new management according to a sign on their door.
The ice cream shop is located at 629 Main Street in Manchester and was owned by Center Perk on Main Street. The shop opened in 2020 replacing a vacuum store. Stay tuned for an opening announcement!
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Ground has officially been broken on Manchester's new library! With demolition of the former Webster Bank on Main Street complete, contractors are now moving into construction of Manchester's newest branch of the public library. A 'Ground Breaking' ceremony took place last Friday with both local and state officials in attendance including Mayor Jay Moran and Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz. 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, interactive teen space, makerspace & audio-visual studio, private study, meeting rooms, and a large community meeting space. Read more about the project here: https://yourvoicemattersmanchesterct.com/ The building is expected to take 16-18 months to construct. A opening in the second half of 2026 is expect with this timeline. This library will replace the Mary Cheney. The future use of Mary Cheney Library has not been officially determined or announced; but the building will remain in place. The library will cost about $50 million. Made up of $2.5 million in ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funding, $39 million in bond funding, $5 million from the US Treasury Capital Projects Fund, and $3.5 million for the State's Community Investment Fund. Find a virtual walk-through of the new library here: https://youtu.be/0oywwZN59gw 
A new restaurant is coming soon to Manchester!
El Campo Restaurant is coming soon to 394 Middle Turnpike West in Manchester, the former Little Caesars/Rooster's Chicken & Waffle space at the Manchester Parkade. The restaurant will serve Latin cuisine from their space, including Puerto Rican and Dominican favorites. It is expected to be mostly take-out due to space constraints in their restaurant. No timeline has been announced for their opening, though construction is now underway. Stay tuned for more information! 
Hobby Lobby is nearing completion on their new Manchester store at 120 Hale Road!
The retailer is transforming the old Christmas Tree Shop, a roughly 57,000 square foot space, into a new Hobby Lobby store. The new store will be about 15,000 square feet larger than their current location near Home Depot. No word yet on what might open in their old location once they vacate. The store opened its doors in Manchester in 2014; replacing a former Sports Authority store at 241 Buckland Street. Stay tuned for an opening date for their new location in the coming weeks! A developer has submitted Pre-Application plans for a new residential development in Manchester. Southington-based 3 Squared has submitted plans for a Pre-Application Review of a possible zone change and site development plan for land at 206 Oakland Street in Manchester. The land is located behind Oakand Liquor Store and the Mobil station. Under the plans submitted, 148 units would be constructed over 16 buildings. The units would be made up of 2-4 bedroom units. The land is currently zoned 'Residential Resource' or RR which is intended for low-density single family residential development. The developer, if they decide to move forward after the meeting, would be seeking a change to 'Planned Residentail Development' or PRD which provide more flexibility in site and building design. The Pre-Application meeting is scheduled for 04/21 during the Planning and Zoning Meeting. It will just be a pre-application hearing, no approvals will be decided and a formal application would need to be submitted. 3 Squared was the developer behind the proposed apartments at the former Bank of America on North Main Street. They sold the property earlier this year, and future plans for the site are unclear.  Hale Road Plaza will soon be bursting with life again! The plaza is located at 169 Hale Road and is currently home to Cost Plus World Market, crazy hot deals /American Liquidation, and Kaoud Oriental Rugs; but will soon be home to 2 new businesses. -The former Babies R Us space has been leased to a new tenant! The new tenant has not been formally announced, but we are hearing a few names thrown around. The new tenant will occupy 30,000 square feet. Stay tuned for more information on this new tenant! -Lava Island is coming to the former Bed Bath & Beyond space. The children's entertainment center is well underway with plans to open in early summer. The children's complex willl feature 30,000 square feet of amusements including a massive 3-level jungle gym, tricycle track, slides, trampolines, foam pits, jump tower/jump bag, toddler jungle gym, and themed immersive party rooms. -Crazy Hot Deals is relocating back to their original location in the former AC Moore space in the plaza. The move is to make way for a new tenant in the former Babies R Us space. The bin store and discount furniture dealer has expanded to numerous other locations in Connecticut and New York. A stunning turnaround for a plaza that has been plagued with empty space since Babies R Us, AC Moore, and Bed Bath & Beyond closed in a matter of a few years. This will leave the plaza with a single vacancy, a 1,685 square foot space next to Kaoud Oriental Rugs. Who do you think the new unnamed tenant is? Comment below! I had the opportunity to check out one of Main Street’s newer restaurants, Long Gut Miss Pinny. The Jamaican restaurant is located at 856 Main Street, across from Audacity. The Jamaican restaurant is beautiful inside, with an upscale feel, live plants on the tables and around the restaurant, and white linens on every table. The menu consists of Jamaican favorites including jerk chicken, curry chicken and goat, brown stew chicken, salt fish & ackee, Rasta Pasta, and much more. Find the menu here: https://www.longgutmisspinny.com/menu I got the Curry Chicken, served with rice & peas and steamed cabbage & vegetables. My friend got the Brown Stew Chicken with white rice and steamed cabbage & vegetables. Everything was delicious and amazing! The curry had a decent kick to it, just how I like it. This place is definitely worth checking out! Find them at 856 Main Street in Manchester. They are open: Monday-Thursday 11am-9pm Friday-Saturday 11am-10pm Sunday 2pm-9pm
Georgies Kitchen Restaurant has closed their location at the Hilliard Mills in Manchester; but plans to reopen elsewhere in the future. The restaurant was located within the mill building at 642 Hilliard Street.
The soul food restaurant opened in February 2024, replacing Taso's Eggsellent Adventure in the building. The restaurant plans to relocate to a new location, though the new space has not been announced. The owner said in Facebook post: "To our amazing customers—thank you for rocking with us! After much thought (and listening to YOU), we’ve decided it’s time for a change. We’re officially moving to a new location to bring you an even better Georgies Kitchen experience! Our Hilliard Mills location is officially closed. While we’re sad to say goodbye, we’re excited for what’s next! We’re beyond grateful for our time at Hilliard Mills, but growth means moving forward, and we can’t wait to share what’s next. Your love and support means everything, and we ask that you turn on post notifications so you don’t miss any updates—including the big reveal of our new spot! Stay tuned, and get ready for something special. We can’t wait to serve you again soon!" The space at Hilliard Mills is now up for lease. The former Georgies/Taso's space is 1250 square feet of space, perfect for catering, food service, and/or food production. Space include a large open kitchen, ansul hood, natural gas hookup, cafe area, a private loading dock, and much more. With Eighth District Distilling Company, 2nd Bridge Brewing Co., multiple event spaces, and many tenants there is huge opportunities for customers! Find the listing here: https://www.raveis.com/.../642-hilliard-street-unit-1101... 
The sale of The Shoppes at Buckland Hills has closed and Namdar Realty Group is the new owner. The sale was recorded with the Town on 03/27.
Namdar purchased the mall for $25.8 million, a fraction of the mall's value of $95.9 million (appraisal from 2021). The mall is roughly 1.2 million square feet. The property has a number of outparcels including LongHorn, Red Robin, Market Grill, Dave & Busters, Fairfield Inn & Suites, BJ's Brewhouse, & Homewood Suites. The mall has been managed by a court-appointed receiver named Spinoso for the past years during the mall's bankruptcy. Spinoso ushered in new national tenants during their tenure including Gong Cha, BoxLunch, Hungry Pot, EA Teriyaki, Snipes, and others. Namdar owns a large number of dead and/or dying malls across the US including 3 in Connecticut. Crystal Mall, Enfield Square (sale pending to developer), and Meriden Mall are all owned by Namdar; they also own the Trumbull Mall. There is a small glimmer of hope for Buckland Hills. Namdar has recently brought on True Commercial Real Estate to lease a number of their CT properties. True CRE has had success in bringing big name retailers to shopping centers throughout CT including Connecticut Commons in Plainville, Fountain Square in Shelton, Southbury Green in Southbury, The Shops at Marcus Dairy in Danbury, and many more. Hopefully they will bring their magic to Buckland Hills. 
Scout & Molly's will be closing their boutique at The Shops at Evergreen Walk. The boutique started their store closing sale last Monday with 20% off everything. All sales are final.
The boutique sells women's clothing and accesories. They originally opened in September 2017, replacing Cold Stone Creamery. No word yet on a replacement tenant for the boutique. Starbucks will open their new location in South Windsor officially on Friday, March 28th according to staff! The newest location for the coffee shop chain will be located at 19 Cedar Avenue in South Windsor; in front of Costco and Chipotle. Starbucks expect to soft open starting tomorrow with a friends and family event. The new location features an interior lobby, patio, and drive thru. This is a new location and will NOT replace the Starbucks at The Plaza at Buckland Hills. Starbucks will soon be joined in the Cedar Avenue development by Coldstone Creamery and Sally’s Apizza. Creamy Rolls will officially open for the season on April 1st!
The ice cream shop is located at 699 Main Street in Manchester. They serve rolled ice cream, ice cream nachos, ice cream tacos, and many other delicious desserts. The restaurant is locally owned and operated by the Davila family; the owners will be opening a sister restaurant next door called Titi Evelyn's Grab & Go. Make sure you check them out on April 1st and try some of their new menu items! Buckland Openings:
-The Toy Box, a new arcade, has opened at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills! The arcade features dozens of games including claw machines, air hockey, and other classic arcade games. They also have a prize table. Check them out and welcome a real arcade back to Buckland Hills. -Brick Swap is relocating and expanding at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills! The Lego resale store will relocate from their current location (near JCPenney in the mall) to the former L&L Fashion space across from Snipes! The new store is 5,488 square feet, nearly 5 times the size of their current location! -Andrea's Tailoring & Things Jamaican is coming soon to the mall! The shop will be located in the former Hannoush Jewelers space on the first floor near Macy's Furniture. Look for them to open soon. -Go Calendar is relocated within the mall. The store closed last month in preparation to move, stay tuned for more information on their new space. -Beautifit has opened a second location at the mall. Find their newest location on the second level near Macy's (Beauty/Woman Store) -Not an opening, but the mall is being sold to Namdar Realty. Check out our full post on it here: http://www.theconnecticutscoop.com/manchesterscoop/sale-of-the-shoppes-at-buckland-hills-approved-by-bankruptcy-court -Not a Buckland opening, but big congrats to Unsettled Geeks at Buckland Hills Mall! They are expanding to a second location, this time at Westfarms Mall! Look for them to open soon! Evergreen Openings: -A CT-based Hospitality Company is in negotiations to open a new restaurant at Evergreen Walk! We can't disclose the name yet due to the negotiations, but it will be great! Stay tuned! -J Crew Factory is NOW OPEN at Evergreen Walk! The new factory store version of J Crew will open at The Shops at Evergreen Walk, replacing a long vacant Cold Water Creek space. J Crew previously operated a full-line store at Evergreen Walk until the store’s closure. It’s now home to Higher Ground Core. -Club Studio has finally opened in South Windsor! The new gym is the latest concept from Fitness International, the parent company of LA Fitness and Esporta Fitness; both of which previously operated at the site. The new gym is located at 100 Cedar Avenue in South Windsor, located near Costco. The 40,000+ square foot gym features individual fitness studios inside with classes. Read our full post here: www.theconnecticutscoop.com/manchesterscoop/club-studio-finally-opens-in-south-windsor -Starbucks is nearly complete at 19 Cedar Avenue! Starbucks’ tenant fit out is nearly complete and should open in the next weeks! Signage has been installed for the coffee chain. Look for them to open very soon! -Sally's Apizza is joining the Cedar Avenue development. The building is well under construction with framing completed. Paving and landscaping should begin soon while the building moves further in construction. Sally’s is expected to open this fall. -Lululemon is NOW OPEN next door to Munson’s Chocolates. The store replaces Soft Surroundings. The store is a pop-up store for roughly a year, and will hopefully become permanent. -All Love Candles is NOW OPEN next door to Scout & Molly’s on The Green at Evergreen Walk. The shop featureThe Plant Loungele bar where you can make your own candle with various votives, scents, and more. The shop also sells a large variety of house plants from The Plant Lounge. Make sure you check them out! Other Buckland Area Openings: -Lava Island, a chain of entertainment centers, plans to open their first Connecticut location in Manchester at 169 Hale Road, the former Bed Bath & Beyond / Most Excellent Gaming. The children's complex would feature 30,000 square feet of amusements. See our post here: https://www.theconnecticutscoop.com/manchesterscoop/lava-island-nears-opening-take-a-look-at-the-progress -Burlington is under construction in Manchester! The discount retailer plans to occupy the former Big Lots store at The Plaza at Buckland Hills. The store would be located at 1470 Pleasant Valley Road according their corporate. The store is expected to occupy the 30,000 square foot space. The store is expected to open in June 2025 according to the website. -Hobby Lobby is coming to the former Christmas Tree Shop in Manchester! The home decor and craft shop will relocate from their location near Home Depot into the larger Christmas Tree Shop space at 120 Hale Road. The new store is expected to open this spring. -Raising Cane's construction is starting. Construction fencing is up and site work will soon begin on the new Raising Cane’s restaurant in Manchester! The location is planned to be built at 75 Buckland Road in Manchester, a vacant lot at the bottom of the hill near Texas Roadhouse. The site plan for the new restaurant calls for a new 3,234 square foot restaurant with 45 seats inside, 20 seats on a patio outside, 21 parking spaces, and a 2-lane drive thru. See our post here: www.theconnecticutscoop.com/manchesterscoop/raising-canes-to-begin-construction-in-manchester -Kidstrong is NOW OPEN at 48 Pavilions Drive in Manchester, the long-closed Office Depot space next to Edge Fitness! KidStrong is Athletic Play -- a new kind of activity for kids ages 1-11 that builds confidence, character and family connection through science-based fitness games led by expert coaches. Each week, kids join for a 45-minute class that is developmentally appropriate, fun and challenging. See our post on their opening here: https://www.theconnecticutscoop.com/manchesterscoop/kidstrong-opens-in-manchester -Pokémoto Hawaiian Poke Bowls is now open in the old Sport Clips space at The Plaza at Buckland Hills! The restaurant serves poke bowls, similar to sushi but served in a bowl instead of a roll. Check them out! -Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Center is coming soon to The Plaza at Burr Corner. The medical office will occupy the former Jenny Craig space next to Goldfish Swim School. Construction is nearly complete! -The Plaza at Buckland Hills recently sold to Brixmor Property Group, owner of other Manchester shopping plazas. The plaza sold for $67.5 million according to town documents. Washington Prime Group, the former owner, still owns the adjacent vacant land with new housing planned. Closings: -Joann Fabrics is currently liquidating all of their locations including the Manchester store at The Plaza at Buckland Hills. Hurry in to take advantage of the liquidation deals. -Party City is now permanently closed at The Plaza at Buckland Hills. No replacement tenant has been announced for the space. -Forever 21 is closing their store at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills. The store is in their final 8 days. No word yet on a replacement tenant for the space once they liquidate. -Banana Republic has closed their store at The Shops at Evergreen Walk. The store was a longtime tenant of the shopping center. No word yet on a replacement tenant for the space once they liquidate. -Lucky 7 Nails has closed at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills. The nail salon was located on the first floor of the mall near Sears. -The Sneaker Company has closed at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills. The sneaker store was located on the first floor of the mall near JCPenney. Take a look at the progress of the new Lava Island! The new children’s entertainment complex is coming to 169 Hale Road, the former Bed Bath & Beyond / Most Excellent Gaming. The children's complex willl feature 30,000 square feet of amusements including:
The space will also feature a restaurant inside. They plan to open in April/May! Their website can be found here: https://lavaisland.com/manchester-preopen/ This new business will be a welcome addition to the shopping plaza. The plaza is currently home to crazy hot deals , Kaoud Rugs, and World Market. Are you excited to see this open in Manchester? Comment below! 
Check out the latest Manchester restaurant inspections from the months of Janaury and February 2025! The Department of Health in Manchester routinely inspects restaurants throughout town; and compiles them into a report that’s published publicly. See how your favorite restaurant did in the report! See the January reports here: See the February reports here: Find the reports on Manchester's website here: https://www.manchesterct.gov/Government/Departments/Health-Department/Recent-Inspections 
KidStrong is NOW OPEN at 48 Pavilions Drive in Manchester, the long-closed Office Depot space next to Edge Fitness!
KidStrong is Athletic Play -- a new kind of activity for kids ages 1-11 that builds confidence, character and family connection through science-based fitness games led by expert coaches. Each week, kids join us for a 45-minute class that is developmentally appropriate, fun and challenging. The space had been vacant since Office Depot closed in 2014, the space was occasionally used as a Spirit Halloween. Kidstrong is a growing franchise of kid-centric fitness classes with expert coaches. They currently have Connecticut locations in Danbury, Orange, Fairfield, Manchester, and Norwalk; with locations coming soon in Stamford and Hamden. 
The brand-new Club Studio has finally opened in South Windsor! The new gym is the latest concept from Fitness International, the parent company of LA Fitness and Esporta Fitness; both of which previously operated at the site. The new gym is located at 100 Cedar Avenue in South Windsor, located near Costco. The 40,000+ square foot gym features individual fitness studios inside with classes including: -Box (high intensity boxing) -Ride (cycling) -CS4 (circuit training) -Hot yoga (3 different variations) -Hot Pilates -Reform Pilates -Rebound (trampolines) The club also features a basketball court (yes they kept it!), a pool, Jacuzzi, lockers, showers, dry heat sauna with Himalayan salt, over 5000 square feet of state-of-the-art equipment. The new gym has a MedSpa that offers cool sculpting, liquid IV drip, vitamin shots, Botox, juvederm and other skin rejuvenation services. And finally a fully loaded recovery lab which includes cryotherapy, red light therapy, hydro massage beds, Normatec compression, hyperice equipment (vibrating foam rollers, massage guns). The club has an in-house cafe; serving a variety of organic superfoods, açaí bowls, smoothies, etc. Perfect for a pre or post work out refresher! Memberships start at $149 a month for the Standard tier, $189 for the Standard tier with priority booking and guest passes, and $249 for the Premier tier! Check out all the memberships and benefits here: clubstudiofitness.com/Pages/MembershipSignUpRate.aspx?id=7e%2b%2b8w05G7lIni9GiZsjoQ%3d%3d The gym is open: Monday thru Thursday 5am-10pm Friday 5am-9pm Saturday thru Sunday 7am-6pm 
JeicobyScott Salon will be leaving Main Street in Manchester for a new location in South Windsor starting April 1st.
The hair salon has been a fixture of Main Street, opening at 789 Main Street in 2015. The salon expanded into a former consignment store called 41 Closets in 2018. The salon is relocating to the MY SALON Suite at The Shops at Evergreen Walk. The new address will be 62 Evergreen Way in South Windsor. The salon's services include (but are not limited to): haircut, highlight, brow lamination, eyelash lift & tint, tooth gems, spray tan, and buzzcut/undercut. The owner said in a post: "Farewell, Manchester! Hello, South Windsor! 2025 is the year of transformation! Exciting news, friends & family… As of April 1st, 2025, we are MOVING & REBRANDING! JeicobyScott Salon has been a beloved part of Downtown Manchester for the past decade, and although we’re sad to leave Main Street, we’re thrilled to announce our new location at MySalonSuites in Evergreen Walk, South Windsor, CT. JeicobyScott & Co. is ready for this exciting transition. It will allow us to remain a united front with our Salon Family and continue doing what we love every day. We want to express our deepest gratitude to all our beautiful clients for your unwavering support over the past ten years. Your continued love and patience during this transition mean the world to us. We can’t wait to welcome you to our new home in Evergreen Walk!" What would you like to see open in their spot on Main Street? Comment below! 
Construction fencing is up and site work will soon begin on the new Raising Cane’s restaurant in Manchester! The location is planned to be built at 75 Buckland Road in Manchester, a vacant lot at the bottom of the hill near Texas Roadhouse. The site plan for the new restaurant calls for a new 3,234 square foot restaurant with 45 seats inside, 20 seats on a patio outside, 21 parking spaces, and a 2-lane drive thru. The location will join the existing locations in Enfield and Simsbury; with other locations planned/under construction in Milford and Wethersfield. Raising Cane's is a fast-food chicken restaurant; serving an abbreviated menu including chicken tenders, chicken sandwiches, fries, coleslaw, texas toast, drinks, and their signature Cane's sauce!    Construction is nearly complete on the Starbucks building on the corner of Cedar Avenue and Buckland Road while another has finished framing! The development is located at 5-19 Cedar Avenue. The new Starbucks and Cold Stone Creamery building is nearly complete! Starbucks’ tenant fit out is nearly complete and should open in the next weeks! Signage has been installed for the coffee chain. Even though construction on their shell space is almost done, Cold Stone Creamery has not started their space yet. They should be starting soon! The fourth building in this development will be home to Sally's Apizza! The building is well under construction with framing completed. Paving and landscaping should begin soon while the building moves further in construction. Sally’s is expected to open this fall. Brick Swap is relocating and expanding at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills! The Lego resale store will relocate from their current location (near JCPenney in the mall) to the former L&L Fashion space across from Snipes! The new store is 5,488 square feet, nearly 5 times the size of their current location! The store sells Lego kits, pre-built Legos sets, individual Lego pieces, and mini-figures! You can purchase Legos at just $8 a pound from their bulk bins. The store opened as a kiosk at the mall, utilizing the kiosk now home to Custom Hub. Brick Swap relocated to their current location in 2019; the space was brief used as a pop-up Lego store during the 2018 Christmas Season. Stay tuned for more information as they get closer to opening in their new location. Until then, check them out in suite 1074 near JCPenney! Have you checked out Marketplace on the Green in Manchester? The local market is located at 484 Middle Turnpike East in Manchester, in the same building as the Shell station on the Manchester Green. The marketplace started as a farm stand in the parking lot last summer and has expanded to a full retail space! The store sells produce from local farms including honey, vegetables, pies, coffee beans, meats, eggs, cheese, milk, and much more. The store also sells gifts and products from local vendors including pottery, gift baskets, flowers, art, candles, and much more. Make sure you check them out. The shop is open (Winter Hours): Monday 9am-7pm Tuesday 9am-1pm Wednesday-Saturday 9am-7pm Sunday 10am-6pm Demolition is now underway on the former Webster Bank building in Downtown Manchester! The site will soon be redeveloped into the town's new public library.
The new 70,000 square foot, three-story structure includes plenty of space for Manchester’s collection of books and materials, engaging areas for children of all ages, interactive teen space, makerspace & audio-visual studio, private study, meeting rooms, and a large community meeting space. Read more about the project here: https://yourvoicemattersmanchesterct.com/ The building is expected to take 16-18 months to construct. A opening in the second half of 2026 is expect with this timeline. The future use of Mary Cheney Library has not been officially determined or announced. The Pearl Sports Bar is NOW OPEN in Manchester! The new sports bar is located at 623 Main Street, the former Catsup & Mustard space. The building has been gutted and rebuilt into a modern sports bar, speak-easy (still coming soon), and restaurant. The Pearl Sports Bar is owned by Fornarelli's, an Italian restaurant in Colchester. Menu items include salads, burgers, french dips, chicken parm, filet-o-fish, wraps, Fornarelli's meatballs, fried mozzarella, calamari, nachos, and more. Check out the food and drink menus in the attached pictures. The restaurant will be open: Tuesday thru Thursday 4pm-9pm Friday thru Saturday 4pm-10pm Sunday 3pm-9pm Closed Monday *Soft opening hours, expected to be extended in the future* Reservations can be made by calling 860-432-8033. I am excited to see more nightlife return to Downtown Manchester CT!   
The Pearl Sports Bar will open their doors tomorrow, Friday 02/21!
The new sports bar is located at 623 Main Street, the former Catsup & Mustard space. The building has been gutted and rebuilt into a modern sports bar, speak-easy, and restaurant. The Pearl Sportsbar is owned by Fornarelli's, an Italian restaurant in Colchester. The new sports bar will open their doors officially at 9pm on Friday with music by DJ Sadboy. The party continues on Saturday with music from Davey Blues from 6-9pm. Stay tuned for the restaurant's instagram (@thepearlmanchester) for soft opening details and hours for next week! I am excited to see more nightlife return to Downtown Manchester CT! |
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