Most Excellent Gaming - Manchester will be closing their doors! The pop culture / gaming store is located at 169 Hale Road, in the same plaza as Cost Plus World Market. The store moved to the space in August, leaving a smaller location near Edge Fitness. The store’s Enfield location will remain open. The Enfield store is located at 483 Enfield Street. Gift cards and store credit can be redeemed in Enfield.
Dick’s Warehouse Sale Store in Manchester is closing their doors! The store opened in Fall of 2022 in the former Babies R Us at 169 Hale Road. The store was an outlet version of Dick’s Sporting Goods, which will remain open at The Shops at Burr Corner. Signs outside the store say the final day will be January 13th. The plaza will be nearly 50% empty once Most Excellent and Dick's close.
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Whole Foods Market will officially open their doors at The Shops at Evergreen Walk on Wednesday, January 17th at 8am! Opening morning, customers will enjoy complimentary coffee and breakfast bites. The first 300 customers in line will receive a limited-edition tote bag and a Secret Saver coupon featuring offers up to $100 off! Are you excited to see them open next week? What would you like to see open in the vacant space next door? Comment below! Buckland Hills Mall Openings:
-Gong Cha is NOW OPEN at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills! The bubble tea shop is on the first floor in the center court! The international boba chain has renovated the former Chill-Out kiosk to create their own identity. -The Lash Mortuary is NOW OPEN at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills! The eyelash studio opened on the first level across from Wetzel Pretzels! The eyelash studio moved from Enfield, where they have operated for years! -Snipes is coming soon to The Shoppes at Buckland Hills! The sneaker and streetwear will open soon in the former EbLens space on the first level! Snipes is an international sneaker giant that has been expanding quick across the US. -New Look Eyebrow is NOW OPEN at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills! The eyebrow styling studio has opened in the recently closed Bliss Brow Bar on the second level near the food court. -Lili's will be opening a second location at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills! The shop will open next to Miracle Eyebrow and Against All Odds on the second level. The store has a location on the first level near H&M. -Georgie's Kitchen is coming soon to The Shoppes at Buckland Hills! The soul food restaurant will open in the food court next to China Wok. The restaurant previously had a location in Hartford. -Beautifit has relocated their dress shop at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills to a larger space! The dress shop has added bridal to their collection and has grown to over four times their previous size! The store relocated into the former Abercrombie & Fitch space across from H&M. -Signs ETC is NOW OPEN at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills! The seasonal tenant will open next to The Children's Place. The store sells home decor! -Collectables & Cards will be opening a second store at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills for the holiday season! The store will open in the former Payless space near Macy's. -Wetzel Pretzel's has a new franchisee! Both the storefront and kiosk have changes hands! The new owners plan to keep the business running like usual. Though they hint at a possible change to branding in the future! -Bob's Stores appears to be FINALLY moving forward with their store renovation! The store is currently running a remodeling sale! Everything must go to make way for the renovated store! Bob's is running this sale in multiple locations, with plans to bring a new look to dated Bob's stores! Evergreen Walk Openings: -Kung Fu Tea has officially opened their doors at The Shops at Evergreen Walk! The boba shop opened in a space near LL Bean in the shopping center! -Bluemercury is planning to open a store at The Shops at Evergreen Walk! The cosmetics company plans occupy 1,500 square feet next to Apple! The space was formerly home to Clarks; and has been subdivided to make space for an Apple expansion and Blue Mercury. The store plans to begin construction this winter, with a late winter/early spring opening. -Deka Lash is coming soon to The Shops at Evergreen Walk! The lash studio chain will occupy the former DAVIDsTEA space next to Lovesac! Deka Lash adds to the list of personal services added to Evergreen Walk including LensCrafters, Massage Envy, MY SALON Suite, Higher Ground Core, and The Goddard School -MY SALON Suite will be opening a new location at The Shops at Evergreen Walk! The Salon Suite collective will open in an over 6,400 square foot space next to Carhartt! The space was formerly home to Parmida Home, a now defunct home goods store. Construction on the new salon suites will begin very soon; and the operator is now leasing suites! Visit https://www.mysalonsuite.com/windsor/ for more info! -Club Studio has started construction in South Windsor! The gym will replace the vacant LA Fitness / Esporta. This new gym is owned by Fitness Internstional, the parent company of LA Fitness, City Sports Club, and Esporta. -Sunglass Hut is NOW OPEN at Evergreen Walk! The sunglasses retailer has opened next to Sleep Number near the Green! The store replaced its location at Buckland Hills! -Golf Lounge 18 is under construction in the former Brooks Brothers space! The indoor golf simulator will take over the entire 11,000+ square foot space! Look for them to open later this year! -Starbucks and Chipotle have been approved for Evergreen Walk! The chains will be built on the vacant parcel next to the new PeoplesBank! Chipotle will be built on the lower left side of the parcel (see plan below.) The new building will feature the new ‘Chipotlane’ concept; an online/app order pickup window. Starbucks will build their new location on the upper left side of the parcel, including the coffee chain and a 1,000 square foot retail space. Starbucks will feature a drive thru. -A Waffle & Ice Cream Shop is coming soon to The Shops at Evergreen Walk! The shop will open in the space recently occupied by Dude's Donuts Pop-Up shop. No timeline has been announced for the restaurant's opening. Other Buckland Area Openings: -Hot Table is coming soon to The Plaza at Buckland Hills! The sandwich shop is expected to occupy the recently-closed Chosen 1 Seafood space near Michaels! The Springfield, MA-based chain has 11 locations currently, with 3 new locations coming soon! The chain has been on an expansion spree in the last 2 years. The new location is expected to open this winter! -Baja's Restaurants is now open! The new fresh-Mex grill occupies the old BurgerFi at 1062 Tolland Turnpike (in front of BJ’s Wholesale.) This is the Rhode-Island based chains 13th location. -Salsa Fresca is coming soon to The Plaza at Buckland Hills! The fast-casual chain will open next to PM Pediatrics. The fresh-mex restaurant has other locations coming soon in Newington, Avon, and multiple NY locations. -Orthopedic Associates will open a new location at One Buckland Center! The medical office will take over 5,000 square feet of vacant space in the plaza. -Central CT Dermatology is now open in their new location in the Hannoush Jeweler's plaza at 340 Buckland Road. The practice has locations throughout Connecticut. -110 Grill is nearing completion on their new location! The restaurant will be located in The Plaza at Burr Corners in a new ground-up building. The Mass-based chain had been scouting the Buckland area for years prior to constructing this location. Closings: -Soft Surroundings will be closing their store at The Shops at Evergreen Walk! The Women's clothing store filed for bankruptcy earlier this week, with plans to close their 44 store locations; while selling their website to Coldwater Creek. -Chosen 1 Seafood has closed the doors of their Manchester eatery. The Cajun-seafood restaurant opened in 2020 in the short-lived Bonchon location. The restaurant has other locations in Bloomfield and Hartford. -Sunglass Hut has closed their location at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills. The store still has a presence at the mall inside the Macy's store. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our sponsor, The Learning Experience South Windsor for sponsoring this Buckland Business Brief! If you are looking for daycare for your children from Infant to Kindergartener, check out TLE! They have flexible schedules for all families! Visit their website at https://thelearningexperience.com/center/south-windsor/ for more info! If you're interested in sponsoring an article, send us an email at themanchesterscoop@gmail.com. Opening: -The Shops at Evergreen Walk has added some new branding! The center has dropped 'Promenade' from its name and has added new signage at each entrance! The signs are awesome, and were completed by ARTfx in Bloomfield! -LensCrafters is NOW OPEN next to Apple! The optician and eyewear retailer relocated from their longtime store at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills! The store features the latest prototype store with eye catching LED displays throughout! -Massage Envy is NOW OPEN next to Stonewall Kitchen! The massage center has expanded to include Microderm infusions, skin care treatments, and more! Massage Envy moves from their longtime location at Evergreen Run! -Sunglass Hut is under construction at Evergreen Walk! The sunglasses retailer will open next to Sleep Number near the Green! The store will close its location at Buckland Hills when this location opens! -Golf Lounge 18 is under construction in the former Brooks Brothers space! The indoor golf simulator will take over the entire 11,000+ square foot space! Look for them to open this fall! The newest Golf Lounge 18 location opened last year at The Shops at Farmington Valley, featuring a bar and kitchen to enjoy while playing. The chain has a total of 6 locations currently, with locations in Fairfield, Orange, Canton, Danbury, White Plains, and Peabody. -Kung Fu Tea is under construction next to Omaha Steak! The boba tea shop will open soon! Look for them to open this fall! Maybe as early as late September! -Apple has started construction on their expansion at Evergreen Walk! The tech giant will expand into the old Clark’s space next door. The space will be divided into two spaces, one for Apple and the other for a yet to be announced tenant! -Whole Foods is under construction near Costco! The store is being mum about their opening date; but they plan on opening in Q1 of 2024 per their last update. -Chipotle Mexican Grill and Starbucks could be coming to Evergreen Walk if plans are approved! O'Evergreen, the owner of the property on the corner of Cedar Avenue and Buckland Road, has proposed the construction of 3 new buildings to be home to 3 restaurants and one retail space. -Club Studio, a chain of high-end gyms, plans to open a new location in the former Esporta / LA Fitness location in South Windsor! Club Studio is the latest concept from Fitness International, the parent company of LA Fitness, Esporta, and City Sports Club! The new concept features boutique fitness studios within in addition to the open gym areas! Gym-goers can expect Hot Yoga, Boxing, Pilates, Strength Training, and Cryotherapy-Recovery. -Spirit Halloween will open their temporary store in the former Sears at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills! The halloween store operated here two years ago. This store is expected to open in September! -Gong Cha will open a new kiosk at the mall! The National bubble tea franchise will be owned by Sonny Chen, a restauranteur from West Hartford! The bubble-tea shop will occupy a kiosk in center court, recently occupied by Chill-Out. Construction has started on reimagining the existing kiosk! -Beautifit, a boutique in The Shoppes at Buckland Hills (formerly located at Westfarms and Holyoke Malls) will move from their current location next to The Children's Place to a much larger space near H&M. The boutique will occupy the usual-temporary home of Go Calendar, the former Abercrombie store. -Go Calendar has officially opened for the season! The store occupies the former Hollister store across from Aeropostale. Check them out! There is currently no sign, but they are open! -BoxLunch is NOW OPEN at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills! Check them out on the second level next to Charlotte Russe! BoxLunch is a pop-culture concept from Hot Topic! They have been expanding throughout the country; with other location at Westfarms and CT Post Mall. -Georgies Kitchen Restaurant & Catering will be opening their new location at the mall! The soul food restaurant will open in the food court! The restaurant is expected to open sometime this month! -110 Grill is well under construction on their third Connecticut location! The restaurant will open at The Plaza at Burr Corners in Manchester! The restaurant will feature a large bar, patio, and more! The building is located in front of Dick’s Sporting Goods. The Mass-based restaurant chain features an extensive gluten free menu; along with the typical menu. The restaurant serves a modern American cuisine of soups, salads, sandwiches, flatbread, and much more. -Most Excellent Cards & Collectibles has relocated their store from a small space near Edge Fitness to the former Bed Bath & Beyond space at 169 Hale Road. The store sells table top game cards, collectibles, comics, and funko pops! -Baja's Restaurants is getting ready to open their newest location! The Mexican restaurant will open in the former BurgerFi space at 1066 Tolland Turnpike (in front of BJ's.) Look for them to officially open sometime in September! -Salsa Fresca is still coming soon to The Plaza at Buckland Hills! The Mexican restaurant will occupy the former Total Fitness space near Sweet Frogs. Closings: -Soft Surroundings will be closing their store at The Shops at Evergreen Walk! The Women's clothing store filed for bankruptcy earlier this week, with plans to close their 44 store locations; while selling their website to Coldwater Creek. -Chosen 1 Seafood has closed their doors of their Manchester eatery. The Cajun-seafood restaurant opened in 2020 in the short-lived Bonchon location. The restaurant has other locations in Bloomfield and Hartford. A new tenant appears to be lined up for the space. Stay Tuned! -Target Fun has closed their doors at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills! The airsoft arena occupied a small space on the second level that was once home to GameStop. -Bliss Brow Bar has closed their doors at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills. The eyebrow bar will be replaced with a new Brow Bar called New Looks Brows. -Randy Wooster Street Pizza has relocated their pizza shop from 1000 Tolland Turnpike (in front of BJ's) to 185 East Center Street (Lenox Plaza.) The new location still features their signature Hot Wheels theme! -Chill Outs has closed their Thai-Ice Cream Roll kiosk at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills. The kiosk is now being renovated to become a Gong Cha franchise. What do you think of these new and closing stores? What would you like to see open in Manchester? Comment Below or on our Facebook and Instagram! It has been awhile since my last update on the website, but we have lots of new scoop! Check it out below! Openings: Slime Academy will open their doors tomorrow, June 11th! The children's activity center will open next to Newbury Comics at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills! The shop is an interactive Slime making experience with many options of colors and accent to add to your slime! Sweetwater is NOW OPEN in the food court at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills! The restaurant features a Build Your Own Salad option, Smoothies, Bowls, Sandwiches, and more! EA Teriyaki is NOW OPEN in the food court at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills! The Mass-based chain replaced Sarku Japan. EA Teriyaki has locations in Holyoke Mall at Ingleside and at the Danbury Fair Mall. BoxLunch is coming soon to The Shoppes at Buckland Hills! The Hot Topic-owned chain is currently under construction in the former Justice store on the second level. Look for them to open later this year! Hungry Pot is nearing completion on their extensive build out at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills! The new chain of hot pot restaurants is taking over the former Crab Du Jour / Panera location on the first level near the Funny Bone. The chain is also opening locations in Danbury, Wethersfield, Westport, and Dartmouth, MA. New You Foot Spa has opened on the first level of The Shoppes at Buckland Hills, near Barnes & Noble. The foot spa replaced 208 Foot Spa, which moved to a new location. Spa Day has opened on the first level of The Shoppes at Buckland Hills, near Macy's. The massage parlor opened in the former Crazy 8's space. The Sneaker Company is now open on the first level of The Shoppes at Buckland Hills! The sneaker boutique replace the former Verizon store near JC Penney. Unsettled Geeks has relocated their store to a new larger location at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills! The gaming store moved into the former Hallmark store on the second level, near Spencer's Gifts. Banter by Piercing Pagoda has replaced their kiosk with a new kiosk in the center court of The Shoppes at Buckland Hills. The new kiosk features the newest prototype of the chain. Check them out in front of Barnes & Noble. Apple will be expanding their store at The Promenade Shops at Evergreen Walk! The tech giant will expand into the former Chico's store next door; taking 2/3 of the space. The space will most likely be back of house space for Apple. Lenscrafters is nearing completion on their new location at The Promenade Shops at Evergreen Walk! The eyeglass company will open next door to Apple, in the former Ann Taylor location. Massage Envy will be moving from their longtime location at Evergreen Run, into The Promenade Shops at Evergreen Walk! Massage Envy will replace the former location of Higher Ground Core; which recently moved into a new location in the center. Sunglass Hut is coming soon to The Promenade Shops at Evergreen Walk! The sunglass store will open in the former L'Occitane space near Sleep Number. Construction should begin soon. Kung Fu Tea is coming soon to The Promenade Shops at Evergreen Walk! The bubble tea shop will open in the former Taste by Spellbound location near LL Bean. The Goddard School is officially open at The Promenade Shops at Evergreen Walk! The childcare center replaced Flatbread Company and most of the former Charming Charlies. Nike is now open at The Promenade Shops at Evergreen Walk! The footwear giant took over nearly 6,000 square feet of vacant space near New Balance. Higher Ground Core has moved to a much larger location at Evergreen Walk! The studio relocated to the former J Crew space near Eddie Bauer. The studio features fitness classes, barre, and much more. New 'Letters of Intent' have been signed by retailers for most of the vacant spaces at Evergreen Walk. These spaces include: - The 6,000 square foot space last occupied by Baby Gap - Gap Kids. New tenant is not yet known. - The remaining 4,950 square feet of the former Charming Charlies. New tenant is not yet known. - The remaining 1,500 square feet of the former Clark's. New tenant is not yet know. - The 2,700 square foot sapce last occupied by Moe's. New tenant is not yet known. - The 11,665 square foot space last occupied by Brooks Brothers. New tenant is not yet known. - The 2,200 square foot space last occupied by Lux Bond & Green. New tenant is not yet known. Another new tenant is coming soon to The Promenade Shops at Evergreen Walk. The unknown tenant will begin construction soon next to Carhartt. People's Bank is now open at Evergreen Walk! The bank was built on a vacant parcel next to Costco. Whole Foods Market is coming soon to The Promenade Shops at Evergreen Walk! The exterior of the grocer is just about done, but the interior is still under construction. iCode has opened their new coding school at The Plaza at Burr Corners! The coding school is geared towards kids and teens! Look for them near Metro Mattress! Best Brains Learning Center is coming soon to The Plaza at Burr Corners! The learning center will be located next to the UPS store. Tech Genius will be reopening their store in Manchester! The phone repair shop was located in the mall before closing. The store will be opening at The Plaza at Burr Corner near Metro Mattress. 110 Grill is officially under construction at The Plaza at Burr Corner! The high-end restaurant will feature a large gluten free menu! Look for them to open later this year! Advanced Auto Parts has opened their new store! The auto part shop opened next door to DSW in the Best Buy plaza! The store replaced a vacant space once home to Tweeter ETC. Hibachi Grill Buffet has opened in the former Hometown Buffet location near PC Richards! The buffet was once located in West Hartford before relocated to Manchester to make way for Planet Fitness. Total Fitness Equipment has opened in a new temporary location! The fitness equipment shop is currently located next to Mattress Firm in the Best Buy plaza; but will relocated to a newly demised space next to Edge Fitness later this year! Curaleaf is nearing completion on their new Manchester location! The medical and recreational dispensary will replace the former Friendly's at 240 Buckland Road. Baja's Fresh Grill will replaced the vacant Burger Fi restaurant at 1062 Tolland Turnpike. The chain has locations in Mass and Rhode Island. Modwash, a car wash chain, is proposing a new car wash at the site of the Gerich's Service Garage in front of BJ's. The car wash is not yet approved and is still working its way through planning and zoning. Salsa Fresca is coming soon to The Plaza at Buckland Hills! The fast-casual chain will open next to PM Pediatrics. Orthopedic Associates will open a new location at One Buckland Center! The medical office will take over 5,000 square feet of vacant space in the plaza. Central CT Dermatology will open a new location in the Hannoush Jeweler's plaza at 340 Buckland Road. The practice has locations throughout Connecticut. 208 Foot Spa has reopened their Manchester spa at 179 Deming Street! The spa is located near Fedex. Closing: EbLens will be closing all their stores, including their locations at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills in Manchester and Main Street in East Hartford. The streetwear chain has over 50 locations in the Northeast. Sunglass Hut will be closing their store at the mall once their new location at Evergreen Walk opens. Lenscrafters will be closing their location at the mall once their new location at Evergreen Walk opens. T Mobile has closed one of their two locations at the mall. The store near Barnes & Noble closed quietly last week. They still have a presence at the mall with a T Mobile store near Macy's and a Metro by T Mobile store near Barnes & Noble. Dude's Donut has sadly closed their doors at Evergreen Walk! The donut shop was a pop-up shop near the Green. Jenny Craig has closed their weight-loss center at The Plaza at Burr Corners. The entire chain of centers closed their doors suddenly last month. Quite a few construction projects are now underway in Vernon! The majority of the projects are located along Talcottville Road! Check out the projects below! -Store Space has started construction on their 3 story self-storage facility behind Taco Bell! Look for them to open next year! -Dime Bank is under construction in the former Farmington Bank next to Starbucks. The new community bank will open in a few weeks! -Mr.Sparkle Car Wash is getting a much needed facelift. The carwash chain was bought by Valvoline earlier this year. The carwash is getting a new roof, new facades, new wash bay, and updated parking lots! They should reopen this fall/winter. -Valvoline is under construction next to Mr.Sparkle Car Wash! The oil change shop will open this spring. -Five Below is under construction at Tri-City Plaza! The variety store will open next to Staples later this year! -Xfinity will soon begin work on a store at Tri-City Plaza! The retailer will occupy the former Sally's Beauty Supply space. -Kindercare recently started construction on a daycare center in front of Trail Run Apartments! Look for them to open this spring! -Square Peg Pizza is still coming soon to the former Little Mark's space. Hopefully they will open this winter. -Frankie B Tavern will soon open in the former Angellino's on Kelly Road. The tavern was to open under the Lazy Dog name; but has been changed due to Trademark issues. -Connecticut Golfland is under construction! The new entertainment center and restaurant will occupy the space of the old Golfland. The complex will feature mini-golf, batting cages, bumper boats, go carts, an arcade, the recently opened Conehead Creamery, along with a roof top bar. The main building and attraction will be open as early as this spring or summer. -Rocking Horse Smokehouse is under construction behind Golfland! The restaurant will occupy an old movie theater turned Medical office. The smokehouse will feature a large dining room, bar, patio, and deck. It will open in December! Evergreen Walk Openings: -Work is well under way for People's Bank near Evergreen Walk! The bank is being built next to the vacant Esporta Fitness. -Nike is coming soon to Evergreen! The Manchester Scoop was first to report on their plans for this location. The store will occupy the old Motherhood Maternity and Elements of Design space. Construction has begun, look for them to open early next year! -Lovesac will take over the former Francesca's boutique space. The furniture store will occupy over 1,200 square feet. Look for them to open this winter. -Lenscrafters will occupy the space next to Apple. It's not listed as such yet, but construction documents obtained by The Manchester Scoop show they’re planned for that space. -The Goddard School is coming soon to the old Charming Charlie's space. Look for them to open next year. Construction work is underway to rebuild the space for the school. -Shake Shack is under construction on a new space near the rotary at Evergreen Walk. Look for them to open this winter. -Whole Foods is under construction. The last of the old buildings are currently being demolished and work for the foundation is underway. -A 'Letter of Intent' has been signed for the old Brooks Brothers space near the green. The large space is over 11,000 square feet. -A 'Letter of Intent' has been signed for the old Parmida space near Carhartt. The space is close to 6,500 square feet. The space has sat vacant since Parmida closed in the early 2010s -A 'Letter of Intent' has been signed for the old L'Occitane space. The space is only 600 square feet. This will be next door to Select Comfort. -A 'Letter of Intent' has been signed for the old Clarks Shoe space. The space is over 2,000 square feet next to Apple. -A 'Letter of Intent' has been signed for the old Moe's Southwest space next to Carter's! Hopefully a new restaurant will take over this space. -A 'Letter of Intent' has been signed for the old Lux Bond & Green space next to Soma! The 2,200 square foot space has sat vacant since their closure. -A lease is awaiting signature for the former Chico's space next to MyEyeDr. The store has sat vacant since the store closed earlier this year. The once struggling outdoor mall will spring to life again! The center had over 32 vacant spaces at this time last year, and will soon only have 12 spread across the mile long shopping promenade! The center will boast a 17% vacancy rate if all these leases go through! Buckland Opening: -EA-Teriyaki is coming soon to The Shoppes at Buckland Hills! The Mass-based restaurant will occupy the former Praline's Ice cream space in the food court! -Unsettled Geeks has opened their collectable and tabletop game store in the mall! The store is located in the Sears wing near Newbury Comics. -Stateline Video Games will be opening their third location at the mall! The video game store will occupy the former Regency Gaming/GameStop location near Newbury Comics. -Majoli has moved their boutique to a bigger location! The store has moved into the former Garage Store near Aeropostale. -Toys R Us is back in Manchester! The toy store is located inside Macy's on the first level! -Wow Toys has opened on the first level near Macy's! The toy store features a Play-Before-You-Pay model, where you can play with the toys before purchasing them! -Creative Faces Salon has opened on the first level! The new hair salon and boutique is located right outside Barnes & Noble! -Seasonal stores are coming soon! It appears that Global Gecko, Signs Etc., and Hickory Farms will return for the holiday season! -Go Calendar has reopened their seasonal outpost at the mall. The store took over the vacant space next to Forever 21. Closing: -Crab Du Jour has closed their location at the mall, the short-lived restaurant was opened for just over a year. The restaurant took over the vacant Panera space along with a long-vacant space next door. -Afrohairdentity appear it will no longer open at Buckland. The signs for the store have been removed from the storefront. -Curlystar Hair has closed their location on the second level. The store was located across from Shoe Dept Encore. -Gloria Jean's Coffee has closed their kiosk at Buckland. The kiosk was located in front of JC Penney. Other Buckland Areas Opening: -Removery will be opening their tattoo removing studio next to Hartford Healthcare at One Buckland Center. -Dick's Warehouse Sale will remain in Manchester for awhile longer! The chain has applied for permits to put up a new sign onto the building to replace their temporary sign. The outlet store is located in the old Babies R Us on Hale Road. -Work has started on Manchester's first marijuana dispensary! Fine Fettle will open next to Petco on Hale Road! -Milan Hair Removal has opened next to Men's Wearhouse! -110 Grill is coming soon to Burr Corners! Look for construction to start soon! -ICode is coming soon to Burr Corner! The coding school will open next to Align Dental. -Align Dental has opened their practice at Burr Corner! The dental office took over the vacant Expressions Dental space. -Boot Barn is well under construction at Burr Corner! Look for them to open next year! -Hibachi Grille is coming soon to the former Hometown Buffet space! The buffet is moving from a space in West Hartford! Closing: -BugerFi has closed their Manchester location. The restaurant was located near BJ's Warehouse. Welcome to The Newington Scoop's very first Business Brief. I will try to do at least one per month if enough content warrants one. Otherwise, any new developments will be scooped to you as we get them. If anyone has any business news to share, please share them to thenewingtonscoop@gmail.com. Opening: -The Rockin Chicken recently opened in the former Dunkin' at 236 West Hill Road. They are a Peruvian Charcoal Rotisserie with their original location at 476 Franklin Avenue in Hartford. The Newington Chamber of Commerce will be having an official ribbon cutting ceremony on July 24 at 5:00pm. Check them out. -Deal Depot will be opening in the former Goodwill store at 45 Costello Road. They are a closeout retailer specializing in a variety of items for the home, including clothing, equipment, and more. The Newington Chamber of Commerce will be holding a ribbon cutting on July 17 at 5:00pm. Join them. -Cash Money Pawns opened on July 3 at 65 Louis Street in the strip center alongside Price Chopper. They are a new local pawn shop. -Final Cut Sports Barbershop will be moving from 36 Lasalle Road in West Hartford Center to Newington Center at 4 East Cedar Street in the former Modern Barber space. They are an established family-owned barber shop with a sports theme. They've been in business for over 20 years, and decided to move the shop to Newington, their hometown. Construction is ongoing. They will be informing The Newington Scoop as to when they will open the new location. -Starbucks at 995 Main Street has been temporarily closed since last month for renovations. They expect to reopen by the end of August. We will keep you posted on when the re-opening date is announced. -Flash Car Wash Newington at 16 Fenn Road is still waiting for an MDC hookup (per an update at the last TPZ meeting on 6/28/23). This line would have to be run to the CT Fastrack busway. No indication was given on how long this process would take. Commissioners assumed it will be a longer delay. The Newington Scoop reached out to the Flash Car Wash and have not yet received a response. LOOKING AHEAD: -The TPZ recently met and heard three (3) pre-applications for new businesses to locate in existing buildings in town. Please see the previous post for details on those potential new openings: https://www.facebook.com/thenewingtonscoop/posts/287068443897793 -Progress continues at 3333 Berlin Turnpike, a newly constructed mixed-use center with retail and 269 luxury apartments. So far, the confirmed tenants are Sally's Apizza, Crumbl Cookies, Shake Shack, PJ's Coffee, Restore Hyper Wellness and CAVA Mediterranean Restaurant. A national grocer to occupy the largest space in the retail portion is not yet known. Tenants are expected to be able to move in later this year with apartment occupancy by early 2024. As soon as specific information and dates are revealed, we will give you the scoop. -Other active construction projects include the future WoodSpring Suites, a four-story hotel to be located at 712 Cedar Street, Cedar Pointe, an affordable housing complex at 550 Cedar Street, and The Pike, a new apartment option at the corner of Pane Road and Maselli Road. We have a lot of news for this edition! To make it easier to follow I have broken down the openings into sections for Evergreen Walk, The Shoppes at Buckland Hills, The Plaza at Burr Corner, and the remaining Buckland Area. Enjoy! Opening at Evergreen Walk: Sakura will reopen in their new location at Evergreen Walk on July 6th! The hibachi restaurant is moving to a newly built out space next to Connecticut Mattress. Old Navy is preparing to open in their new location at Evergreen Walk! The new store will be located across from Burton's. The space was originally home to 6 retail spaces, and has been combined for Old Navy. Look for them to open later this month! Peoples Bank has started construction on their new South Windsor banking hub! The bank will be located next to the recently shuttered Esporta/LA Fitness. Tesla could be coming soon to South Windsor! The company is seeking a zoning amendment to allow for automotive sales and service for the recently shuttered Esporta/LA Fitness space! We will bring you update once more is known! Lenscrafters is coming soon to Evergreen Walk! The store will relocate from The Shoppes at Buckland Hills to the former Ann Taylor space next door to Apple! Look for construction to start in August or September. Lovesac is coming soon to Evergreen Walk! The location has not been released yet for the store. The furniture store's footprint is usually between 1,000 and 2,000 square feet. Lovesac's closest location is at Blue Back Square. Go Calendar has opened their semi-permanent store at Evergreen Walk! The store is usually a seasonal tenant at Evergreen Walk during the Christmas shopping season. The store opened in May in the former Coldwater Creek store and is expected to remain open year-round until a permanent tenant for the space is found. Cambria Hotel will open next month at Evergreen Walk! The hotel is located behind the shops, in front of Tempo Evergreen Walk! Whole Foods officially had their ground breaking last week for their new location at Evergreen Walk! The store will replace the current home of Sakura and Old Navy! Shake Shack is under construction at Evergreen Walk! The restaurant will be located at the rotary near the current Old Navy. The Goddard School will soon start construction for their new location at Evergreen Walk! The private school will replace the vacant Flatbread Company, Garbanzo Mediterranean, and the majority of the closed Charming Charlie store. A new athleisure store will soon replace the old Motherhood Maternity store and the old Elements of Design store at Evergreen Walk. This store should be announced in the coming weeks! Opening at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills: Afrohairdentity is coming soon to The Shoppes at Buckland Hills! The store will be located next to Against All Odds in a space that was home to Lady Foot Locker. EaTerriyaki is coming soon to The Shoppes at Buckland Hills! The Mass-based restaurant will take over the recently closed Praline Ice Cream shop in the food court. Wow Toys has opened in the old FYE space at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills! The toy store opened in June, replacing a short-lived toy store called The Goofy Turtle. Kala Kultuur Studios is coming soon to The Shoppes at Buckland Hills! The dance studio will occupy the closed Hollister store on the first level! The instructor has been hosting the Zumba classes at the mall out of Studio B, a mall sponsored multi-faceted space on the second floor. A new store is coming soon to the former Dick's space at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills! The mall is being mum about the new anchor store. We will keep you updated once the new store is announced. Target Fun has opened in the old Gamestop store at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills! Target Fun is a airsoft arena with a carnival-style shooting game open to all ages! Chill Outs has opened at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills! The kiosk is located on the first level in front of Forever 21. The shop sells ice-cream rolls, crepes, milkshakes, ice cream, and much more! EbLens recently renewed their lease at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills! The footwear store recently embarked on an expansion spree within Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey! The chain recently opened stores at Westfarms Mall , Danbury Fair Mall, Green Acres Mall, Garden State Mall, Boston MA, and is coming soon to Jersey Gardens mall! Opening at Burr Corners: 110 Grille has announced plans for a new restaurant in Manchester! The restaurant has submitted plans for a new building at The Plaza at Burr Corners. The land is currently home to a Webster Bank ATM, which would be relocated. A new tenant has signed a lease at The Plaza at Burr Corners, the new tenant will occupy space previously occupied by Golden Dragon, long-moved Randy's Wooster Street Pizza, and the National Guard. This space will be roughly 11,000 square feet. A new tenant has signed a letter of intent for the recently closed Snip Its. Alp's Dental is coming soon to The Plaza at Burr Corners! The dental center will replace the recently closed Great Expressions Dental Center. Metro Mattress opened in May at The Plaza at Burr Corners. The mattress store replaced a Sprint store. Opening in Buckland Area: Hibachi Buffet is coming soon to the former Hometown Buffet! The buffet will replace the chain buffet that closed in 2019. The buffet will be located in the PC Richards plaza. Bob's Stores (not to be confused with Bob's Discount Furniture) is coming back to Manchester! The store has not identified a location for the new store, but is currently hiring a manager for a new Manchester store to open in late 2022. A new small restaurant could be coming to One Buckland Center! Scott Leonard is currently applying for a zoning amendment to allow for small restaurants, 1600 square feet or less, to operate within the plaza. Milan Laser Treatment is coming soon to South Windsor! The center will open in the recently closed Sprint store near Target! Look for them to open this month! Fine Fettle has won approval for a recreational marijuana shop at 101 Hale Road! The shop just needs to win approval of their state license, the winners of the state license lottery will be announced later this year. Ashley Furniture has reopened their Manchester location! The furniture store moved from the Walmart plaza to the former Marshall's space on Hale Road! Urban Air has reopened their Manchester adventure park! The trampoline park is located next to PC Richards. Closing: Lenscrafters will move from The Shoppes at Buckland Hills to a new location at Evergreen Walk later this year. Burgerfi has closed their Manchester, CT location! The burger chain was located in front of BJ's Wholesale Club. Esporta / LA Fitness closed their door in South Windsor last week. The chain couldn't come to an agreement on lease negotiations. Happy May everyone! Just wanted to take a break from the Manchester and Vernon areas for a week! People from East of the River like to travel to Westfarms for their unique mix of stores, so here is a breakdown of all the new stores coming to the area around Westfarms Mall! Enjoy! We will be back with a 'Manchester Business Brief' next week! Make sure you follow us for updates! Opening! Ashar's Boutique has opened next to Cinnabon on the main level! The store sells clothing and other trendy items! Check the out! Torrid has started their build out for a new store at Westfarms! The chain will occupy the space that recently housed Parade of Novelty Sports. Claire’s has temporarily closed their store at Westfarms while the store receives a makeover! A construction barrier is currently blocking the store. Aerie will soon reopen their store at Westfarms in their new location! Aerie will take over the old Justice store in center court. Offline by Aerie is under construction in the former Aerie space in center court. Offline is the active west division of American Eagle. Lovisa is coming soon to Westfarms! Lovisa is a chain of piercing and jewelry stores. The store will occupy a currently occupied space on the second level. Abercrombie and Fitch will make their return to Westfarms! The clothing store closed years ago, but is now set to return to the space recently occupied by Go Calendar on the first level! The timeline for construction is not yet known. Lids will make their return to Westfarms as well! The store will begin a build out in the space last occupied by DAVIDsTEA on the first level. The timeline for construction is not yet known. Arhaus has announced plan to build a store at Westfarms! The furniture store will reimagine over 10,000 square feet, last occupied by Ruby Tuesday’s, a convenience store, and a tailor shop. The store is currently working to get approvals for their exterior changes, but the store will be beautiful! Gong Cha will begin construction on a kiosk at Westfarms! The bubble tea shop will open next door to Starbucks in center court! Club Pilates will open a new studio in The Corbin Collection! The fitness studio will divide the last vacant space on the first level of the former Sears store. Crumbl Cookies will open a cookie shop in the other half of the Club Pilates space in The Corbin Collection! Crumbl cookies recently made their CT debut in Manchester. Nothing Bundt Cakes has signed a lease at Corbin’s Corner! The bakery will occupy the old Simple Greek location. J Crew Factory Outlet is coming soon to Corbin’s Corner! The outlet is taking over the vacant Dress Barn space. Corbin’s Corner is currently undergoing a massive facade renovation! The new storefront will be much more modern than the current look! Cava is coming soon to the former Jared location at Corbin’s Corner! The restaurant will occupy half of the current building. Sally’s Apizza is coming soon to the other half of the former Jared building at Corbin’s Corner! Tavern in the Square will be opening soon! I drove by on Friday and it appears that they are just days away from opening! The Boston-based chain took the last remaining vacancy in the former Sears Auto Center. Ivy Rehab recently opened next door to Tavern in the Square. The rehab center occupied 2,500 square feet of the former Sears Auto Center. JD Sports/Finish Line will soon begin a build out for their new store at Westfarms! The store will replace the recently closed Abercrombie Kids. Unconfirmed News (Not Finalized Deals): Pizza Hut is in negotiations to take over a space in center court on the first level. Francesca's is in negotiations to take over a occupied space on the first level. Zumiez is in negotiations to take over two temporary tenant spaces at Westfarms. Nike Live is in negotiations to take over a vacant space on the second level. Altar'd State / Arula has signed a letter of intent for a space on the second level. The space is currently occupied by two stores. Closing: Abercrombie Kid's closed last week. The store was located next door to Icing on the first level. They will be combining with the new store opening across from Urban Outfitters. Parade of Novelty Sport has closed temporarily. They will be relocating within Westfarms. Opening: Rocking Horse Cafe / Smokehouse will open in the home of ProHealth / ECHN behind Golf Land. The building was once home to Vernon Twin Cinemas before being converted to medical use. The new restaurant will feature a large deck, indoor stage, dining pavilion, and large bar. The owner of this restaurant is also behind the new Golf Land now under construction. The Learning Experience is seeking to build a new location in Vernon! The daycare center would be built next door to Panda Palace on Talcottville Road. The Learning Experience is a chain of daycare centers throughout the country. The local franchise is run by Deepash Patel, who recently opened their location at Evergreen Walk in South Windsor. A Cannabis Dispensary could be coming to Vernon / Rockville. A special permit application is in front of the Planning and Zoning commission on April 21st. The retail establishment would be located at 25 Park Street, the closed United Bank / Rockville Bank. Habitat for Humanity Restore has opened their new Vernon store! The gently-used and new furniture store opened in the former home of Shepard Supply. Vernon Coffee Roastery is coming soon to Vernon! The coffee shop will open at 520 Hartford Turnpike, in the Vernon Commons plaza. Valvoline is coming soon to Vernon! The oil change shop will be built next door to Mr.Sparkle Car Wash. The car wash was purchased by Valvoline last year. Square Peg is still under construction in Vernon! They should open this spring in the former home of Little Mark’s BBQ. Naek Condos have been approved for empty land on Naek Road. The condos will be next to Juliano’s Pools. Lazy Liquors will be moving from the recently opened store, three doors down to the current home of KidZone. Lazy Liquor opened on Talcottville Road just a month ago; the liquor store opened next door to Pancho Loco’s. The store was originally planned for Talcottville Plaza; now home to Pro Health. KidZone will be moving from their current home on Talcottville Road to a new location in Manchester at The Parkade. They plan to relocate in early May to the space last occupied by a gift basket manufacturer. Wang Buffet has reopened at 295 Hartford Turnpike in the Ocean State Plaza. The buffet had closed in 2020. Jefferson Fry Company has opened their new location at Tri-City Plaza! They are taking over the space last occupied by Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt. The food is delicious, featuring local food items and their own soda brand. Spice Town has opened their location in Vernon! The Asian and Indian grocer opened in the former space of PetValu. Pro Health will move their Vernon Family Medicine office, currently located next to Enterprise Rent a Car, to 206 Talcottville Road. The space currently houses Vernon Pediatrics, and Vernon Family Medicine will take the remaining storefront spaces. Golf Land is moving along, the owner recently received approval for the addition of a go-cart course, kid’s go-cart course, mini-golf, bumper boats, and batting cages at the amusement center. A new restaurant is coming soon to the former home of Angellino’s in Vernon! The restaurant is set to serve pub-style food. Marcy’s House of Beauty has relocated to 615 Talcottville Road, a vacant commercial property. The salon was located where Lazy Liquors is currently. Closing: Sally Beauty Supply has closed their Vernon location at Tri City Plaza. The beauty supply store was located next to TJ Maxx. Angellinos Restaurant has closed after decades. The restaurant is set to be replaced by a new pub-style eatery later this year. Opening: Whole Foods Market has started demolition work for their store at Evergreen Walk! The former home of Highland Park Market is being demolished to make room for a new road to connect with the road leading to Costco. Shake Shack has started construction on their new restaurant at Evergreen Walk. The burger chain will occupy a vacant lot near the rotary. Sakura is well under construction on their new location near LL Bean. The hibachi restaurant will occupy a large space next door to Connecticut Mattress. The new location will feature a large patio. Zillosh Kid's Apparel will soon open at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills. The clothing store will occupy the vacant Rue 21 space on the second level. Ziya Men's Wear has opened a new larger location at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills. The store was located next door to Michael's Jewelers before moving into the American Eagle space. Majoli will soon relocate their location at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills. The store will move from their location across from Champs, to the former Garage space near Windsor Fashion. Cards & Collectables has relocated their sports memorabilia store from the first floor to the former New York & Company store on the second level. The new space is larger than their previous location next to Forever 21. Ashley Furniture will relocate from their current location near Walmart into a larger location in the PC Richard's Plaza. The store will replace the vacant Marshall's space. Urban Air had their soft opening this weekend. The adventure park opened right before COVID lock down, and had not reopened since. Metro Mattress will open a store at Burr Corner! The mattress store chain will open next door to Buckland Billiards Bar. People’s Bank is coming soon to South Windsor! The bank (not affiliated with People’s United Bank) will build a new 2,000 square foot building next to Esporta Fitness. This is part of the Evergreen Walk development, but will not be part of The Promenade Shops at Evergreen Walk. Toys R Us is coming soon to the Manchester Macy’s store. This marks the return of the toy store to Manchester, after closing their location at The Plaza at Buckland Hills in 2018. This also marks the return of a toy store to the mall, after Goofy Turtle failed to reopen after the 2020 lock down. Tavern in the Square is in lease negotiations for a location in South Windsor! The restaurant would occupy a new building next to Esporta Fitness. Tavern in the Square is a Boston-based restaurant chain with a large amount of Gluten-Free and Vegetarian options! This is part of a push into the Connecticut market, with another location now under construction in West Hartford. Closing: Praline Ice Cream has closed their long time location at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills. The stand was located in the food court. Snip Its has permanently closed their barber shop at Burr Corner. Golden Dragon Chinese has closed at Burr Corner. The long time Chinese restaurant was located near At Home. Opening: People’s Bank is coming soon to South Windsor! The bank (not affiliated with People’s United Bank) will build a new 2,000 square foot building next to Esporta Fitness. This is part of the Evergreen Walk development, but will not be part of The Promenade Shops at Evergreen Walk. Toys R Us is coming soon to the Manchester Macy’s store. This marks the return of the toy store to Manchester, after closing their location at The Plaza at Buckland Hills in 2018. This also marks the return of a toy store to the mall, after Goofy Turtle failed to reopen after the 2020 lock down. Tavern in the Square is in lease negotiations for a location in South Windsor! The restaurant would occupy a new building next to Esporta Fitness. Tavern in the Square is a Boston-based restaurant chain with a large amount of Gluten-Free and Vegetarian options! This is part of a push into the Connecticut market, with another location now under construction in West Hartford. KBarbs has opened in their much-larger boutique at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills. The shop was formerly a kiosk before moving to the Body Shop on the second level. Voila Hair Salon has opened at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills! The hair salon took over the former Master Cuts location on the first level near Newbury Comics. Old Navy will be moving to a new location at Evergreen Walk! Construction started late last year to combine 6 tenant spaces into a new large space for Old Navy. The store will be located where Johnny Rockets, J JIll, The Limited, and Christopher & Banks were located. Construction should wrap up in March/April, with an opening soon after. Sakura will be moving to a new location at Evergreen Walk! Construction started early this month on their new location near Connecticut Mattress. This new location will feature a large patio, and a similar design to their current location. Crumbl Cookies has opened their first Connecticut cookie shop! The cookie shop is located at The Plaza at Buckland Hills, in the former home of Beach House Tanning (which moved to South Windsor earlier this year.) We were first on the scoop to announce the arrival of this Tik-Tok famous cookie shop to the Connecticut market! Chick Fil A is now open in Manchester! The restaurant opened in a newly constructed building on the site of Boston Market. Vape & Smoke has opened their location at One Buckland Center. The shop is located next to Rooster’s Barber Shop. Shake Shack will be coming soon to South Windsor! Shake Shack will be build on a vacant lot near Old Navy at Evergreen Walk! The restaurant will feature the latest prototype with a mobile pick-up window. The Manchester Scoop was first to break the story of the imminent arrival of the chain to South Windsor. Dicks Sporting Goods has opened their new Manchester location! Their store at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills closed shortly before the new store opened. The new store is located at The Plaza at Burr Corners. The Manchester Scoop was first to break this story last year when the move was announced. Costco has opened in South Windsor! The warehouse club opened in a newly constructed building at The Promenade at Evergreen Walk! Whole Foods is coming soon to Evergreen Walk! The store should start construction this Spring / Summer with an anticipated opening date of Spring 2023. Nail Lounge has opened next door to Hannoush Jewelers in South Windsor. The nail studio filled the last remaining retail space in the plaza. The Goddard School is coming soon to Evergreen Walk! The early childhood school will occupy 12,000 square feet in a reconfigured building at Evergreen Walk. The space used to house Flatbread Company, Garbanzo’s Grille, and Charming Charlies. Three new smaller spaces will be carved out of the remaining store space not taken by the school. Relax Zone Spa has opened their location at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills. The spa is located on the first floor near Macy’s. Walmart will be expanding their Manchester supercenter! The chain has filed to expand their Pick-Up area by over 5,000 square feet and reconfigure the parking to better suit the Pick-Up model. Most Excellent Gaming has opened a 10,000 square foot gaming store and arena near The Edge Fitness! The store has a sister location in Enfield. Texas Roadhouse has expanded to include a large patio overlooking the Hartford skyline! This will be a welcome addition this spring and summer! Closings: Flatbread Company has closed their location at Evergreen Walk. The pizza shop was located next to Ted’s Montana Grille. Evereve has closed their location at Evergreen Walk. The women’s boutique was located next to Vionic. The chain pulled out of the Connecticut market all together, closing their recently opened store at The Sono Collection in Norwalk. Sprint / T-Mobile has closed their location next to Target. The space is currently marketed for sublease. Chico’s has closed their boutique at Evergreen Walk. The clothing company was located next to Myeyedr. Kid’s Klubhouse has closed their space at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills. The store was located on the first level near Newbury Comics. Things Remembered has closed their Manchester location at the mall. The store was located on the first level near Newbury Comics. The next closest store is at Westfarms Mall. Carnival Craze has moved from The Shoppes at Buckland Hills to the Brass Mill Center. Go check out their new and bigger location. Golden Dragon has closed their restaurant at The Plaza at Burr Corner. The restaurant owner has decided to retire after 22 years of ownership. The Great Expressions Dental Center has closed their Manchester office at The Plaza at Burr Corner. The dentist office was located next to The UPS store. Opening:
Habitat for Humanity Restore will open in the former New Shepard Supply Company. The Restore is a chain of stores operated by Habitat for Humanity that sells donated furniture, building materials, and more. Jefferson Fry Company will open their fourth location at Tri-City Plaza! The local chain sells gourmet burgers, sandwiches, and fries. The chain will take over the former Menchies space near Wingstop. Sweet Lotus Yoga Studio has opened at Vernon Commons! The new yoga studio is owned by Lisa Gaumond. They offer many different classes every day. Check out their website for more details. The former Wang’s Buffet space in Ocean State Job Lot plaza has been leased according to a leasing packet released by Northeast Retail, the broker for the property. It’s unknown at this time who the new tenant will be. A new smoothie shop has opened in Friendly’s, the Smoothie Factory ghost kitchen is located in the Friendly’s building, and operates as delivery only. Quest Diagnostics has relocated their Vernon office. The Vernon location used to be located in Vernon Commons, near Fiesta Mexicana; they have moved up the street between Dunkin Donuts and Super Cuts, less than a mile down the road. Paul’s Record Boutique is scheduled to replace the recently closed Vernon Vintage Vinyl / New England Jukebox location on Talcottville Road. Vernon Vintage Vinyl closed earlier this summer after the owner passed away. Advanced Orthopedics New England has opened an orthopedic walk-in clinic at 224 Hartford Turnpike. The new clinic took over a few vacant spaces, once occupied by another walk-in, and a hair salon. Vape & Smoke has opened in Vernon, the smoke shop took over the vacant space next to Cut to the Chase hair salon. The Cone Head Ice cream stand at GolfLand should be opening in the next few weeks. The building is nearing completion. Square Peg Pizza’s new location is well under construction! The former Little Mark’s building has been framed and enclosed. Look for them to open later this year. Cup’s Washeteria is now open on Windsor Avenue. The laundromat took over the spot formerly occupied by WaWa Laundromat. Closing: AT&T next to Starbucks has closed their doors. This location was a franchised location, with no corporate relation. The site is currently for lease. WaWa Laundromat has closed their doors. The laundromat will soon become Cup’s Washeteria. Berkshire Bank has closed their location in Vernon. The bank was located at The Shops at 30 in a space once occupied by SBM. The rebirth of Evergreen Walk begins! New management company brings in at least 4 new national chain tenants to the shopping center and two new additional tenants! Check out the latest! Opening: American Flatbread is in talks to take over a larger and more central location at Evergreen Walk! The flatbread restaurant could add an entertainment aspect to the business during the move. The current location of American Flatbread will become home to The Goddard School. See the statement above from the company.*This has been updated to incorporate information given from a company statement in response to this article, We reached out multiple times to the company before publishing, as well as to Charter Realty, and never received a response to our questions.* The Learning Experience will soon open! The new preschool will open on August 2nd in their brand new building at Evergreen Walk! The building is located next door to Cambria Suites! Old Navy will soon begin work on their new location! They will be moving to the space of the former J Jill, Christopher & Banks, and Johnny Rockets according to a leasing packet released by Charter Realty today! Sakura will be soon beginning the work on their new restaurant location. It will go into the vacant space on the L.L.Bean side of Evergreen Walk. They will be taking the space of the former Portrait Innovation and the never occupied space to the left! A new athletic-leisure national chain will occupy the former Elements of Design and the Motherhood Maternity spaces at Evergreen! The store will most likely be Athleta, Fabletics, or Lululemon. The former Ziya/Ann Taylor space at Evergreen Walk has been leased! This space has been earmarked for J Jill to possibly reopen. The former L’Octitane has been leased out! It is unknown at this time what tenant will take the space. Check back for updates when they come available. The Goddard School has signed a lease for the 12,000 square foot space that is currently occupied by American Flatbread, a former restaurant next door, and a good portion of the former Charming Charlie! Three smaller spaces, front portion of Charming Charlies, will be left. A national burger chain has signed a new lease in a new building at Evergreen! The building will be between the main center and Whole Foods! Rumor has it, Shake Shack or Walhburgers will occupy the new space! Whole Foods is coming soon to Evergreen Walk! The organic grocery store will demolish and build a new building on the site of the current Old Navy and Sakura building! Costco is beginning construction! The site work is nearly complete on the complex. The work on the main building is now beginning with the foundation work now underway! The Fresh Monkee has reopened their location at The Plaza at Buckland Hills! The smoothie shop closed for a few weeks after a pipe burst in a neighboring space that cause massive damage. China Wok has opened at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills! The Chinese restaurant is located in the food court next to Sbarro, in the former space of China Max. Work has begun on the new mystery tenant opening next to Rooster's Barber Shop at One Buckland Center. The new tenant has papered the windows and appear to be in the building phase of construction. The Shoppes at Buckland Hills has a new management company, Spinoso Real Estate has taken over day to day operation of the mall. Spinoso is a company with a lot of experience turning aging mall around and bringing new life into them. Lets hope they do their magic! Soft Pedalz has opened their boutique skin care shop at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills. The store took the long vacant space originally occupied by Mrs.Field's on the first level near Macy's. Spirit Halloween has announced the location of their seasonal store! Spirit Halloween will soon occupy the former Sears store at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills! Sephora will soon call Kohl's home! The beauty store has filed building permit to convert part of the existing Kohl's store in Manchester into their newest store! This is part of a larger plan by Kohl's to integrate part of their large footprint stores into Sephora's. The store will have its own sign, and could possible have its own entrance. The store will be open into Kohl's, creating a seamless transition between the two stores. Closing: My Wife Didn't Cook has closed their location at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills. The short lived restaurant will reopen later this year in a new location. Sephora at J.C. Penney will eventually close! The store is located on the second level of the store. J.C. Penney and Sephora couldn't come to terms on an extension of their pilot program. The beauty chain has signed a deal with Kohl's to open larger sized stores in their existing stores. Opening: The Learning Experience is now officially offering tours their facility and enrolling. The grand opening will be on Monday August 2nd. The center will serve infants to preschool children 6 weeks up to 5 years old! Their program will be open Monday through Friday 6:30AM-6:30PM. Please inquire at 860.470.4749 or southwindsor@tlechildcare.com. They are currently running a promotion for the first 50 families to sign up! The Learning Experience is run by a local Connecticut couple with award winning locations in Cromwell, New Haven, Glastonbury and Fairfield CT. Soft Pedalz has opened a boutique skin care store at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills! The store is located on the first level near JC Penney. Crab Du Jour will be opening eminently! They have taken down a temporary wall around their restaurant, exposing the ocean themed facade and theming. They have completely transformed the former Panera into a nicely themed seafood shack! China Wok will be opening their Manchester location! The Chinese restaurant will take the place of the former China Max restaurant at the mall. Dick’s Sporting Goods has started construction on their new store at The Plaza at Burr Corners! The chain will move from their current mall location. The Manchester Scoop was first to report on the impending relocation of Dick’s. Costco is now under construction! Land has been cleared and a giant retaining wall has been erected for the new store! LA Fitness is now Esporta Fitness! Esporta is owned by LA Fitness, and is a new concept to better compete with cheaper gyms in the area! Monthly rates have been slashed in half. Whole Foods Market is coming soon to Evergreen Walk. The Manchester Scoop was first to report on the eminent arrival of the organic grocer! The store will occupy the land that Old Navy & Sakura current sit. They will move into Evergreen Walk. Chick Fil A is now under construction at The Plaza at Buckland Hills! They will occupy the land formerly home to Boston Market! America’s Best Contacts and Eyeglasses is now open next door to Total Wine & More! The optical shop is the latest chain to enter the Manchester market! Windsor Federal Savings Bank is coming soon to South Windsor! Work on the banks new building is underway on Buckland Road! UbreakIfix has opened their cellphone repair shop on Deming Street! The shop opened next door to AT&T in the Starbucks Plaza. Most Excellent Gaming is coming soon to Manchester! The game store and arena will occupy the former Mattress Firm/Sleepys at 49 Pavilions Drive. Flatbread Company has unveiled a new name for their Canton and South Windsor locations, the new name is American Flatbread. The same name as their other locations in Vermont. Closings: Hallmark has closed their store at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills. The store was located on the second floor near Sears. Not really a closing, but the former Sam's Club building is now for sale again! The building was Sam's Club. The building was to be redeveloped into an industrial buildings, but the State of Connecticut bought the building at the last second to use as PPE storage. Moe's Southwest Grill has closed their location at Evergreen Walk. The taco and burrito restaurant was located across from Flatbread Company at The Promenade Shops at Evergreen Walk. This is a story that does not fall within the usual reach of the site, but this area of Connecticut that borders Manchester deserves some spotlight. New Gas Station to be built in Bolton! A gas station in Bolton will receive a large scale makeover if all goes to plan! The Mobil station on the corner of Route 44 and Bolton Center Road will soon be demolished to make way for an Alltown Fresh Mobil gas station after planning and zoning approved the application. The gas station will reuse the awning of the current station, and lower the number of pumps from 6 down to 4 double sided pumps. The existing car wash and convenience store buildings will be demolished, and a new convenience store with a coffee shop, and modern store amenities will be built to the south of the site. The new store will be branded as Alltown Fresh, a brand owned by Global, is a growing chain of gas stations and convenience stores in Connecticut. Its sister brands include Xtra Mart, Alltown, Jiffy Mart, and Fast Freddies. Dollar General coming to Bolton? Yes it could be true! Bolton might be the newest home to Dollar General! A new development is on the books for Route 44 next to Bolton Dental. The address is 1100 Boston Turnpike. The applicant's name is Garrett Homes, and they are known developers for the retail giant. The plan is still under review by the Town of Bolton, whom commented that the developer was being cagey about naming the tenant. The application does not name the tenant; but the foot print matches the new prototype Dollar General, the same store design is under review in Manchester for Spencer Street. I will attach an image of a built Dollar General prototype store for reference. Nursery to open in former Farm store Happy Town Nursery will soon take up residence at 1225 Boston Turnpike, the former home of another garden center. The nursery sought to add mulch bins, and storage for equipment. The nursery will reuse existing buildings on the site. The plan was approved by planning and zoning. The timetable of opening has not been announced by the new nursery. A monthly article outlining the openings, closings, and rumors of the Buckland Hills area! Check out the latest below. First a message from our sponsor Glenbrooke Outdoor Sports Center:Glenbrooke has been our sponsor for the last few months, and before that I had no clue what or where Glenbrooke was! I am so happy that they found us, the sports center is the most wonderful addition to the community, providing children a safe place to play, swim, and hang! The business manager Rose is the nicest person you'll ever meet! Don't just take my word for it! Join Rose and the staff at Glenbrooke at an information reception at The Manchester Country Club on Saturday May 22 ! The event is Free for members and prospective members! With two special guests joining the discussion; International Swimming Hall of Famer Marcy MacDonald and Uconn trainer Christopher West! Come meet Glenbrooke's dynamic staff for the summer of 2021, learn about the center's new expanded offerings and programs! Learn more about their summer children's program! For more information, look at the poster above; and visit their website here! Now for the news!Closing:
J Jill has officially closed their store at Evergreen Walk. The store was scheduled to relocated next to Apple, it's unknown at this time if they plan on reopening the store. The store closed to make way for Old Navy to relocate pending approval of a grocery store at their current site. Hallmark at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills is in the process of closing their store. Kay's Hallmark has been a staple at the mall for as long as I can remember. Their closure leaves the only card store as Dollar N Things on the second level near Macy's. Pilgrim Furniture City has closed their Manchester store. The furniture chain closed their store after losing their lease to Dick's Sporting Good; which will be moving from their current location. Boston Market has closed their Manchester restaurant, the building is being prepared for demolition to make way for Chick Fil A. 30 Minute Hit boxing gym has closed at 1 Buckland Center. The gym was located in the same building as the Tempur Pedic flagship store on the South Windsor line. The Fresh Monkee has temporarily closed their Manchester location after a pipe burst in a neighboring unit and destroyed the interior of their nutrition shop. The shop will reopen after the necessary repairs are made. Moe's Southwest Grill has closed their location at Evergreen Walk! The burrito chain was located next to Carters. Opening: Dick's Sporting Goods will be relocating from their 80,000 square foot location at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills to a smaller 55,000 square foot space at The Plaza at Burr Corners. The space will soon undergo massive renovation including a new facade for Dick's; as well as renovations to the interior to combine the former Pilgrim Furniture and former Planet Fitness spaces into one. America's Best Contacts and Eyeglasses will open on May 14th! The new eyewear company will open next to Total Wine & More; in a space formerly occupied by Lane Bryant. Ma Joli has opened at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills. The boutique shop is located on the first level next to T-Mobil. The store sells women's apparel. Plush Coat Co. has opened their coat boutique at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills. The store is located on the second level across from the food court. Pop-Up, a space for pop-up stores, events, and marketplaces will reopen at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills. The storefront is run by management, and was located in the former FYE before that space was occupied. The new location is the former American Eagle location on the first level near JC Penney. Funny Bone Comedy Club will reopen their Manchester location at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills later this month! The comedy club closed last year during lockdown due to restrictions, and has not reopened yet. Visit their website for the latest shows and ticket information. Chick Fil A will start construction on their new store this month! The chicken chain will soon occupy the now empty Starbucks/Boston Market building at The Plaza at Buckland Hills. UbreakIfix will open next month in the Starbucks plaza on Deming Street in Manchester. The cell phone repair business will occupy the former PCW Computer space. China Wok is preparing to open their new location at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills. The Chinese restaurant will replace the outgoing China Max; that closed earlier this year. Crab Du Jour is nearing completion! The restaurant has been under construction for the past few months. The restaurant will open on the first level of The Shoppes at Buckland Hills, in the former Panera Bread location. LA Fitness in South Windsor has resigned their lease at Evergreen Walk and will remain in their current location! Questions were raised last month about their status, as the building was being marketed For Sale and For Lease. Costco has officially started construction on their new store in South Windsor! The retailer will be located behind LA Fitness. The store is scheduled to open in November of this year! Whole Foods has been confirmed for Evergreen Walk! Look for more details on the upcoming project in our next edition of Buckland Business Brief on June 15th! We rely on advertising revenue to continue providing our readers with up to date business news for Vernon, Manchester, and South Windsor. If you run a business in our area, please consider advertising with us! There are a variety of plans to fit any budget., email us at Buckland.business.brief@gmail.com for more information! Thank you! First a message from our sponsor, Glenbrooke Outdoor Sports Center! You won't believe your eyes! Glenbrooke Outdoor Sports Center will be hosting a sneak preview for their new basketball program and new soccer field on SATURDAY April 17 from 1:00-3:00! (Rain date Sunday 18th same time) FREE Glenbrooke T Shirts to the 1st 50 youngsters to attend. (Only those that did not attend our first event) In addition to touring the grounds members and prospective members are welcome to stay with their youngsters ages 6-14 to watch them shoot hoops with our new coaches Tara and Alex anytime from 1:00-3:00. Please be sure to bring your own basketball for the most fun. We have brand new hoops that can be lowered to assist the younger Glenbrooke Gators. Over 100 trees have been removed surrounding the 4 upper tennis courts and the soccer field making for an entirely different atmosphere for both players and spectators! Tucked amongst all that Mother Nature had nurtured these past 58 years you will be stunned when you see what’s been uncovered! Any questions contact Rose at 860-682-8265 or businessoffice@glenbrookesports.com Check out the before and after below for their brand new soccer field! Opening: American Best Contacts and Eye Glasses will open next door to Total Wine later this year. The store will take the place of Lane Bryant that closed late last year. A new store will open in 1 Buckland Road Plaza. The vacant space next door to 30 Minute Hit will be home to a tenant TBD. Aldi is now open in South Windsor! The store is now open in The Gateway across from Evergreen Walk. Chase Bank is now open! The bank opened in front of Aldi in The Gateway development. Old Navy will be moving from their current location to the building which once housed Johnny Rockets, Justice, The Limited, Christopher & Banks, and J Jill. It’s unclear at this time where Sakura will be moving. A national Organic Grocer will be opening at Evergreen Walk! The store will be built in the space of Old Navy, Sakura, and Highland Park Market. I’m hearing from trustworthy sources that Whole Food Market will be the grocer. Costco is coming soon to Evergreen Walk! The wholesale club will occupy the space behind LA Fitness! Plush Coat Co. will open in the mall, the coat store will open in the former home of Chosenfew Clothing on the second level near the food court. China Wok will open in the mall’s food court. The new Chinese restaurant will take the place of ChinaMax that closed earlier this year. Poke Don is now open in the IHOP plaza on Deming Street! The Hawaiian poke restaurant took the place of the short lived Burger IM. The new Golfland, just over the border in Vernon, has gone vertical! The soon to be built family fun center will be modeled after Sonny's Place in Somers. The first building to go into vertical construction is the new 'A' Frame Ice Cream Shop. Kids Klubhouse has reopened their children's entertainment place at the mall! The clubhouse is located on the first level of the mall near Newbury Comics. The center temporarily closed last year due to COVID 19. UBreakIFix will open a storefront in Manchester. The cell phone repair shop will occupy one of the two vacant spaces in the Starbucks/AT&T Plaza on Deming Street. The address will be 172 C Deming Street. East Celebrity Elite has opened in Manchester! The cheerleading team has been invited to Florida for a competition so they are hosting a fundraiser! A Peloton is being raffled off, see the poster above for details! Closing: J Jill will be closing their location at Evergreen according to store closings sign posted at the store. The store was originally slated to move next door to Apple, its unknown whether they will return to the spot. Kay’s Hallmark at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills will be closing. The hallmark store is located on the second level near Sears. 30 Minute Hit has closed their South Windsor gym. The gym was located in 1 Buckland Road, a plaza next to The Plaza at Buckland Hills. Boston Market has closed their Manchester location. The chicken restaurant was located in The Plaza at Buckland Hills. The building will be torn down to make way for Chick Fil A. The Harbour Chase leasing office at Evergreen Walk has closed and moved into the senior living store down the street. Pilgrim Furniture City is closing their location at The Plaza at Burr Corner. The furniture store was originally located where At Home is, moving to their current location 3 years ago. The store lost their lease. We will keep an eye on the space for the new tenant that will be taking their place Rumors: LA Fitness building is up for sale, the fitness center is currently located at Evergreen Walk. **UPDATE** I have spoke to officials at LA Fitness who said that the gym has officially resigned their lease and will be staying at their current location. La Z Boy in Manchester will either relocate or close this August. The store is scheduled to vacate their current space this August. Urban Air Trampoline Park has yet to reopen from lock down. The building and their space is up for lease. First a word from our sponsor! SUMMERS AT GLENBROOKE ARE CHOCK FULL OF FUN Raise your hand if you're ready for summer! We certainly are and we know exactly what will make it that much more fun. Glenbrooke Outdoor Sports Center recently added an array of activities and sports for some full-time fun! First is their brand new recreational day program that will keep the kiddos busy from morning through afternoon (restful nights for the whole fam is a WIN-WIN!). They have swim, tennis, basketball, soccer, double-dutch jump rope, crafts...the list goes on and on. Plus, the new Melissa J. Molin Memorial Soccer Field is almost finished and THIS Saturday, March 13th (Rain date: March 20th), the Center will hold tours for returning and potential new members. Stop by anytime 1:00 to 3:00 PM to get a first look and meet Ken Goodale, the director of Coerver East Soccer (he will run the new soccer program at Glenbrooke) and Dan Crovo, Glenbrooke's new General Manager. First 50 kids get a FREE t-shirt. We cannot say enough about the people in charge at Glenbrooke. They have a love and passion for this special spot like nothing we have ever seen. They truly want families to have the best old-fashioned summer! Built in 1964, it was a true labor of love and that mantra lives on to this day. Find more deets about all their offerings HERE or call Rose 860.682.8265 and plan your summer of fun TODAY. Opening:
Americas Best Contacts & Eyeglasses will open in the Plaza of Buckland Hills. The eye care office will open in the last vacant space at the plaza, once home to Lane Bryant. J Jill appears to be moving from their current location to a vacant spot next to Apple. The women's clothing store is currently located in the first building of Evergreen Walk, next door to Christopher & Banks. The building is slated to become a junior tenant, and I speculate that will be the new home to Old Navy if Evergreen's grocery store plans pass. China Wok will be opening in the food court at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills where the former China Max was. China Max closed last month after over 5 years in the mall food court. China Wok's addition will only leave one vacancy in the food court, the space once home to Subway. My Wife Didn’t Cook had their grand opening on 2/1/2021 in the food court at Buckland Hills Mall. This restaurant has proud ties to New Britain. The restaurant serves a variety of foods, specializing in soul food. Try the fried catfish! Aldi in South Windsor, Manchester line, will open their door on March 11th according to a sign posted outside the nearly finished grocery store! The discount grocery is part of a new development called 'The Gateway.' This should hopefully calm the Vernon store down, the store is usually very busy during peak hours with cars parked up and down the entrance road. East Celebrity Elite Cheerleading will be opening next to revolution basketball on Tolland Turnpike. East Celebrity Elite will be moving from the former location in East Windsor. The address of the new facility is 1406 Tolland Turnpike. Jersey Mikes has reopened after renovation their restaurant! The sub shop is located at The Plaza at Buckland Hills, the renovation included a refresh to the interior, as well as the addition of a drop ceiling in the dining room. Burton’s has expanded their South Windsor restaurant! The restaurant is located at the entrance of Evergreen Walk. The restaurant added a second dining room in the adjoining vacant space last home to Jos. A Banks. Harbor Chase is nearing their opening near LA Fitness! The leasing office at Evergreen Walk will be having a lunch promotion on March 11th from 11 Am to 1:30 PM. Stop in to the office to learn about the facility and receive a delicious lunch from October Kitchen! RSVP to Hartman@harborchase.com or by calling (860) 543-1010. New grocery store possibly coming to Evergreen! We have heard a lot of names thrown out for the operator of the store! Names on the list include Whole Foods Market, Amazon Fresh, and The Fresh Market. The grocery store would be located on the space currently occupied by Sakura and Old Navy. Crab Du Jour opens next month on the lower level of the mall where Panera Bread used to be at Buckland Hills Mall. The Cajun restaurant will be taking over an adjoining space as well as the Panera Bread space. Chosen 1 Seafood opened early last month at the plaza at Buckland hills where the former Bonchon was. This is the seafood restaurant's third Hartford Area location. Poke Don a new Hawaiian-Poke restaurant opened next to Panera Bread. The restaurant took the place of the short-lived BurgerIM space, the restaurant was open a little of a year before closing during COVID lockdown. Taste by Spellbound will be moving from their current spot next to Omaha Steak to the former Crandall and Daughter space in South Windsor! The bakery is making a major investment by expanding their business to a much larger space! The location as Evergreen Walk is around 700 square feet, while the new location will be roughly 2,500 square feet. Amazon has leased the remainder of JC Penney Warehouse in Manchester for last mile fulfilment center! This is Amazon's first foray into Manchester, Amazon has warehouses in South Windsor and Windsor. Higher Ground Core at Evergreen has reopened for in person fitness classes! The studio was giving outdoor classes in Evergreen Walk's outdoor green. Closing: Chosenfew clothing located on the second floor near Cinnabon at the Shoppes at Buckland Hills Mall has closed. This was their second Manchester location, their original store on Middle Turnpike closed shortly after the mall location opened. Hollister has unfortunately closed their store at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills. Hollister was located on the first level near Forever 21. The store has been located in the mall for as long as I can remember, and was the last Abercrombie owned store at the mall (Abercrombie and Abercrombie Kids closed years ago.) American Eagle has also closed their store at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills. The store was located next to the recently closed Hollister store on the first level. The store has been a mall stable for years. The Body Shop has closed their store located on the second level of The Shoppes at Buckland Hills. The store sold body lotions, soaps, and many other personal care items. The Goofy Turtle appears to have closed at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills. The toy store opened nearly two years ago in the former FYE space near Macy's. The toy store never reopened from lockdown, and the windows have been blacked out by mall management. Supreme Clientele Barber Shop appears to be another casualty of the pandemic. The barber shop never reopened after lockdown. The barber shop was located on the first level near Barnes & Noble. Francescas has closed their location at Evergreen Walk. The women's clothing store was located next to DAVIDsTea. The store originally opened at Evergreen in the space now home to Evereve. The store moved into the Buckland Hills Mall, opening on the first level across from Forever 21, before moving back to Evergreen. Christopher and Banks has closed their location at Evergreen Walk. The entire chain closed their stores while going through the bankruptcy process. Christopher and Banks was located across from Burton's. China Max located in the food court of the Shoppes at Buckland Hills Mall closed. The Chinese restaurant was located next door to Sbarro Pizzeria. Elements of Design has closed their salon at Evergreen Walk. The salon was once home to Green Tangerine Salon before becoming Elements of Design. The salon was located across from Ted's Montana Grille. Collectibles and Cards has closed one of their two locations at Buckland Hills Mall. The store still has a location on the first level next to Forever 21. Check out our Vernon news: https://www.themanchesterscoop.com/all-posts/vernon-business-brief-february-2021 Check out our Manchester news: https://www.themanchesterscoop.com/all-posts/manchester-business-brief-february-2021 Opening:
Primitive Renditions has relocated from their former location near Spare Time to a much larger in The Shops at 30! The primitive decor store opened two years ago in a former Metlife Insurance office near Sparetime. Home Sense in Vernon is NOW OPEN! Go take a look at Vernon’s newest home goods store! The store is located at Tri City Plaza next door to Shoprite. Vivo Chiropractor will open a new office in Vernon! The chiropractor currently operates a location at 27 Hartford Turnpike, but will open a new office at Vernon Commons! The office will take the place of the former Keller Showroom before they moved onto Talcottville Road. Pro-health Vernon Family Practice has opened their new practice at 206 Talcottville Road! The practice is the anchor of the once-vacant Talcottville Plaza built in 2018. The shopping plaza has sat empty since a liquor store failed to open in the space. Square Peg Pizza will open a location in Vernon in the former Little Mark's Big BBQ space on Talcottville Road. The restaurant is planning massive renovations to the space including adding a drive thru, and major facade renovations. McDonalds (Rockville) will receive a much needed renovation including renovations to the entire outside of the building, an added drive thru, and an interior renovation of the space. Lucky Taco will open a location in Vernon! The Manchester-based taco-fusion restaurant will open in the former Nature's Grocer location in Rockville this spring. Economy Oil Change has been sold! The local chain of 10-Minute Oil Change shops has been sold to Full Speed Automotive, a franchisor of oil change facilities around the U.S. including Greese Monkey, Speedee, and Chevron Havoline. Stumpy's Hatchet House has opened their axe throwing facility in Manchester! The new entertainment destination is located at 8 Progress Drive Suite 2, in the Parker Street area! The facility offers a party room, and is BYOB (Bring Your Own Beer or Wine). Check out this new Manchester business! Aldi in South Windsor, Manchester line, will open their door on March 11th according to a sign posted outside the nearly finished grocery store! The discount grocery is part of a new development called 'The Gateway.' This should hopefully calm the Vernon store down, the store is usually very busy during peak hours with cars parked up and down the entrance road. Ray Page Plumbing has moved their headquarters from 500 Talcottville Road to 400 Talcottville Road! The plumbing company is now located behind The Beauty Mark, near Tractor Supply. They have expanded their offering to include sale of plumbing fixtures and parts. John Thomas Treasures has moved their store from Courthouse Plaza in Rockville to a vacant space at 500 Talcottville Road. The space was last home to a martial arts studio. Carter Chevy is now Vernon Chevy! The dealership is located on Talcottville Road next door to Vernon Volkswagen. The dealership is owned by Clear Automotive Group, owner of Manchester Honda and Manchester Mazda. Golf Land is now under construction for the revamped version! The new golf land will features an arcade, bumper cars, mini golf, food, ice cream and much more when it opens! Smoke & Vape is preparing to open their location in the former Metro PCS location at the Vernon Circle. The shop joins Cut to the Chase and D'angelo's in the building. APH Salon Suites has started construction on their new home on Talcottville Road. The salon suites will open in a long empty salon building near Larry's Automotive. The site is on the corner of Alan Drive and Talcottville Road. The building will receive an extensive facelift. Closings: Pet Valu has closed their locations including their Vernon and Glastonbury locations. The pet store was an anchor of the plaza on Kelly Road, still home to Good Year Tire and Music & Arts. The entire chain of stores closed, leaving the parents company with only their Pet Supermarket Chain. People's United Bank announced two weeks ago that the majority of their bank branches in Stop & Shop locations would close over the next year as leases run out. That news was followed by the news that People's United Bank would be purchased by a Buffalo-based bank named M&T. The combined bank will be headquartered in Connecticut and would become the largest regional bank in the North East. AT&T has closed their Vernon location next door to Starbucks. This store was not a corporate AT&T store, but was only a franchised location operated by a third party. This is Vernon's second AT&T store that has closed, the company had a location at the Vernon Circle, now home to Smoke & Vape. Prestige Cleaners has closed the Vernon dry cleaners shop. The store was located at 154 Talcottville Road. The dry cleaners was once a part of Battiston's Cleaners, before moving to accommodate American Family Care (AFC) Urgent Care. Spark Virtual Reality in Vernon has permanently closed their virtual reality arcade. The arcade featured VR games, racing simulators, as well as a bar. The VR arcade was located in The Shops at Eastview (Planet Fitness Plaza.) Opening:
Foran Nutrition will open a smoothie shop at 699 Main Street. The smoothie shop will open next door to Mexico Lido Restaurant. Machu Picchu Restaurant has opened at 846 Main Street. The new Peruvian restaurant opened in the space formerly occupied by Teriyaki Box before they moved two doors down. Connecti-Cuts Barber Shop has opened at 970 Main Street! The barber shop is located next door to Manchester Chinese Cuisine. 360 Juteuse Fruit Bar has opened at 360 Main Street! The juice bar features a variety of smoothies and other fruit based offerings. The shop is located near the hospital. Dime Bank opened in Manchester! The Connecticut-based bank opened their newest branch in the former Farmington Bank on W Middle Turnpike. Geico has opened a local office in Manchester! The insurance giant opened a location in the former Payless space at the Manchester Parkade. Searching Serendipity (Formerly Details Salon) has opened their new location at the Manchester Parkade. The store moved from a space next to Rainbow into the former Statefarm office space. Moran Restaurant has opened in Manchester! The Hispanic restaurant opened in the former Rositas' location on Middle Turnpike. Stumpy's Hatchet House has opened their axe throwing facility in Manchester! The new entertainment destination is located at 8 Progress Drive Suite 2, in the Parker Street area! The facility offers a party room, and is BYOB (Bring Your Own Beer or Wine). Check out this new Manchester business! Dollar General could be preparing to announce their third Manchester location on Spencer Street in Manchester. The discount chain will open a store across from Flight Fit & Fun, on a long vacant empty lot. The floor plans released to the public during a planning and zoning meeting match the store's new prototype locations. A new Used car dealership will open on Spencer Street. The former Lynch Buick dealership on the corner of Hartford Road and Spencer Street recently sold, and plans for the building include using it as a used car lot. Aldi in South Windsor, Manchester line, will open their door on March 11th according to a sign posted outside the nearly finished grocery store! The discount grocery is part of a new development called 'The Gateway.' Craftmen's Gallery has opened within the Manchester Mall on Main Street! The store sells antiques & collectibles! Check it out next time you are near by! Natural Selection has opened in the Manchester Mall on Main Street! The store sells vintage clothing and other cool and fun items! Manchester Cheesecake Company has opened in the Manchester Mall! The bake shop sells cheesecake and other local baked goods Big Tree opened in the Manchester Mall! The small store sells CBD lotions, butters, oils, ect. Downtown Roots will open on March 1st in the Manchester Mall, it will sell houseplants, home made items including, hot sauce, dried seasonings & crocheted goods. The shop will also host a variety of paint/craft nights. Economy Oil Change has been sold! The local chain of 10-Minute Oil Change shops has been sold to Full Speed Automotive, a franchisor of oil change facilities around the U.S. including Greese Monkey, Speedee, and Chevron Havoline. Manchester Country Club Restaurant is now under renovation for a new concept by Geno Auriemma! The famed Basketball coach owns local restaurant, Cafe Aura, as well as a number of restaurants at Mohegan Sun. Manchester Mazda has completed their new look at their Manchester showroom! The car dealership embarked on a large scale renovation and expansion of their building on Oakland Street in Manchester! A Go Carting Track will open in the former Holiday Lanes space on Spencer Street. The building was home to one of the last duckpin bowling alleys in the State of Connecticut, no word yet on an opening date for the track. Closings: Foodies and Baskets, a new wine bar and gift basket facility planned for the Parkade, appears to on hold for the moment. The restaurant and Italian market is under investigation by Department of Consumer Protection, Department of Revenue Services, Department of Public Health, and the Department of Labor according to The Bristol Press. Foodies and Baskets both shuttered their locations in Bristol, as well as deleted websites and Facebook accounts. Tangles & Bangles Salon on Main Street has shuttered their location. The salon was located next to The Center Perk. Key Bank has closed a few branches in Manchester. The bank closed their location on the corner of East Center Street and Lenox Street last week. The bank also closed their location on North Main Street in the CVS plaza. The closures were part of a consolidation effort by the bank chain. People's United Bank announced two weeks ago that the majority of their bank branches in Stop & Shop locations would close over the next year as leases run out. That news was followed by the news that People's United Bank would be purchased by a Buffalo-based bank named M&T. The combined bank will be headquartered in Connecticut and would become the largest regional bank in the North East. The Steam Co. is Manchester has closed. The vape shop was located on East Center Street under Orange Hall. The store still has a location in New Haven. Happy New Year everyone! Exciting things to come this year! I appreciate your continued readership and support for the past 3+ year, having some hiccups along the way. I am excited for some plans for the future of the site and look forward to providing my readers with news for years to come! Closings:
Sadly after Christmas is the time when a lot of stores will close, and this year is no different. The pandemic hit retailers hard this year, some not even able to reopen their stores as a result of being closed for months on end. Hollister has unfortunately closed their store at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills. Hollister was located on the first level near Forever 21. The store has been located in the mall for as long as I can remember, and was the last Abercrombie owned store at the mall (Abercrombie and Abercrombie Kids closed years ago.) American Eagle has also closed their store at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills. The store was located next to the recently closed Hollister store on the first level. The store has been a mall stable for years. The Body Shop has closed their store located on the second level of The Shoppes at Buckland Hills. The store sold body lotions, soaps, and many other personal care items. The Goofy Turtle appears to have closed at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills. The toy store opened nearly two years ago in the former FYE space near Macy's. The toy store never reopened from lockdown, and the windows have been blacked out by mall management. Supreme Clientele Barber Shop appears to be another casualty of the pandemic. The barber shop never reopened after lockdown. The barber shop was located on the first level near Barnes & Noble. Clark shoes has/is closing their store location at Evergreen Walk. The shoe store opened with Evergreen Walk in 2008. The store was running a clearance sale, but as of January 7th, the store is nearly empty. Brooks Brothers has closed their South Windsor location. The men's and women's clothing stores occupied a junior anchor space at Evergreen Walk near The Green. Brooks Brothers was recently purchased by Brookfield Properties and Simon Properties, major mall owners. Go Calendar & Games will close their temporary locations at both Evergreen Walk and Buckland Hills Mall. Christopher & Banks will be closing their stores, including their location at Evergreen Walk. The clothing store is located next door to J. Jill. Consignment Originals has closed their Manchester store. The store opened years a go, in a space formerly housing I-Party before they moved and subsequently rebranded to Party City. The consignment store was located next door to the recently closed Smashburger. Sears has just days left before they close their Manchester store. Its unclear what the plan is for the empty anchor building after they close. The building is still owned by Sears parent company, Transform Holdco. Lane Bryant has closed their Manchester location. The store was located next door to Total Wine. Game Stop has closed their store at the mall. The video game store was located next door to Cinnabon. Opening: Poke Don is coming soon to the recently closed BurgerIM location on Deming Street! The poke restaurant has started to build out and renovate the space. Crab Du Jour is getting close to opening their Manchester location at Buckland Hills Mall. The cajun restaurant is taking over the closed Panera Bread, along with an adjacent vacant space. My Wife Didn't Cook is coming soon to the Buckland Hills Mall. The restaurant is gearing up to open in the mall's food court. PM Pediatrics has opened their Manchester urgent care center at The Plaza at Buckland Hills. Chosen 1 Seafood is coming soon to The Plaza at Buckland Hills. The cajun restaurant will open in the former Bonchon space. Goldfish Swim School is still coming soon to Burr Corners! The swim school will be opening in Fall 2021. Cambria Hotel and Restaurant at Evergreen Walk is nearing completion with a Spring 2021 opening date! The hotel recently moved their information office from a storefront in Evergreen into the main hotel building. Gineva Murano Glass has opened at Evergreen Walk. The jewelry store took the space of David's Tea, which close all their location last year. The Learning Experience is nearing completion at Evergreen Walk! The daycare center will be located next door to Cambria Hotel and Restaurant. Aldi is preparing to open. The new store will open this spring behind M&R liquors on Buckland Road. Chase Bank is also preparing to open this spring! The bank will be located in from of Aldi. Costco construction should begin in a month or two, the construction will take roughly 9 month to be completed, with a rough opening date given as November 2021. Evergreen Walk has been sold by Poag, their longtime owner, and big changes are planned for the future. Charter Realty, the new owner, shows that the former Johnny Rockets building could be combined to create a junior anchor spot. The plans also shows the Old Navy side of the center as a new development zone. Its unclear what this means at the moment. Rumors: Urban Air Trampoline Park has yet to reopen following their COVID-19 closure. The space occupied by Urban Air is now up for lease along with the former Marshalls space next door. Katz & Associates is the leasing company, neither them nor Urban Air responded to message inquiring about the status. Urban Air has only been open for roughly 3 months when they were forced closed. Closing:
Brooks Brothers at Evergreen Walk has closed. The store opened with the outdoor mall, and recently filed for bankruptcy and was bought out by a partnership between Brookfield Properties and Simon Malls. Sears has started a Going-Out-Of-Business sale at their Manchester store. The Manchester location is the last remaining Sears/Transform Holdco store in Connecticut. Sears closed their Vernon Kmart store two years ago. BurgerIm has closed their Manchester restaurant after less than two years. The burger chain debuted as part of a national expansion of Hallah burger restaurants and closed amid the pandemic. Smashburger has closed their Manchester location as well. The chain opened in the Best Buy plaza a few short years ago. Lane Bryant has closed their Manchester location at The Plaza at Buckland Hills. The Woman's undergarment store was originally located at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills, but moved to the Plaza to take over the former EMS space. Friendly's has sadly closed their last Manchester location near the mall. The restaurant was located next door to Chili's. China Max has closed their restaurant at Buckland Hills. The Chinese food spot was located in the food court at the mall. Opening: Go Calendars & Games has opened both of their seasonal locations! Go has set up holiday stores at both Evergreen Walk, in the former Coldwater Creek space, and The Shoppes at Buckland Hills, former Rue 21 space. Collectables & Cards has opened a second location at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills. The sports memorabilia store took over the former Payless Shoesource store on the second level near Macy's, and operates another store on the first level near Forever 21. My Wife Didn't Cook is coming soon to The Shoppes at Buckland Hills. The soul food restaurant will take over a food court space last occupied by 'My Way.' The restaurant will be next to the recently closed China Max. Crab Du Jour is well under construction, the cajun seafood restaurant is aiming for a December/Wintertime opening date. The restaurant will be located in the former Panera Bread space, as well as an adjoining vacant space at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills. Gineva Murano Jewelry has opened a jewelry store at The Promenade Shops at Evergreen Walk! The new store is located in the former DavidsTea space near The Green. Aldi construction has started! The store appears to be well under construction with the majority of the structure in place! The store will be located next to M&R liquors. The grocery store is part of the first phase of The Gateway, a new development to include Red Lobster, 110 Grille, along with Chase Bank. Chase Bank is nearing completion! The bank will be located next to M&R liquors. The bank has been under construction since early this year, and appears to be nearing opening! Costco has been approved for South Windsor! The new 160,000+ square foot building should begin construction early next year with a tentative November 2021 opening date! LabCorp has begun a build-out of a new lab in South Windsor! The lab will be located in Evergreen Run, a shopping plaza across from Evergreen. The lab will take over a space vacated last year by Subway. PM Pediatrics has opened their newest office in Manchester! The pediatric walk in clinic opened in the former Avenue location at The Plaza at Buckland Hills! Chick Fil A is coming to Manchester! The restaurant will demolish Boston Market and the former Starbucks. A new building will be erected in the space for Chick Fil A. Custom Hub will open a new customizing store at Buckland Hills. The store will open in the kiosk last occupied by Brick Swap USA. Chosen 1 Seafood has started their build out in the former Bonchon space at The Plaza at Buckland Hills! This will be the restaurant third location! Rumors have been circulating this past week that Geno Auriemma would be taking over the Waterview Cafe at Manchester Country Club. In a first (and definitely not last!) collaboration with The Scoop Glastonbury, we now have confirmation that Auriemma will renovate and reopen the storied restaurant.
Geno Auriemma, a Manchester resident, will take over the Waterview Cafe with a new concept restaurant. Auriemma currently owned Geno Restaurant Group, which has restaurants at Mohegan Sun, and Cafe Aura in Manchester. Auriemma opened Cafe Aura in late 2019, right before COVID-19, Cafe Aura took over and beautifully renovated the legendary Cavey's restaurant on East Center Street. Auriemma's other restaurants in Storrs and Southington have both closed permanently in the past years. We will keep you updated as more details about the restaurant come available. |
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