Connecticut may be in the middle of the traditional dog days of summer, but the state’s retail scene has been anything but quiet, with a flurry of store openings, restaurant debuts and high-profile closures.
Greg Dembowski, Brookfield’s economic development manager, said the store at 731 Federal Road never generated the sales volume company officials had anticipated.
They “never got the volume that they were expecting,” Dembowski said.
Officials with Food Emporium did not respond to requests for comment.
Food Emporium, a division of Staten Island, N.Y.-based Key Food Stores Cooperative, opened the Brookfield store in late November after repeated construction delays pushed back an opening originally planned for 2023.
Charlotte Russe is returning to Danbury Fair after closing its previous store in 2019 when the chain filed for bankruptcy. The brand was later acquired by Toronto-based YM Inc., which has since reopened Charlotte Russe locations in malls across the country.
In Stamford, downtown Italian restaurant Quartiere is launching its seasonal pop-up restaurant KIN Social on Friday, July 31, in Harbor Point, according to a spokesperson for the eatery.
The restaurant, known for its handmade fresh pasta and wood-fired pizza, signed a long-term lease at 15 Harbor Point with Building and Land Technology, according to a news release. The levated casual concept will occupy the space formerly home to the shuttered Mexicue, according to Don Corbo of New England Properties Real Estate, which represented the landlord.
Elsewhere in Fairfield County, Uncle Leo’s & Rosny Café has relocated from Wilton to 345 Main Ave. in Norwalk, where owners Leo Spinelli Jr. and Rosny Aguilar are expanding beyond the doughnuts, bagels and lunch menu that made the business popular.
The new location adds dinner service and celebrated its grand opening July 24, according to its owners.
In Stratford, restaurateur Richard McLain is preparing to open his third Great American Street Food Company, or GASFCO, in the former Bagel Boutique at 940 Ferry Blvd.
McLain said he was inspired by the longtime popularity of Danny’s Drive-In, the beloved hamburger stand that operated nearby for 87 years before closing in 2022.
The Stratford location joins GASFCO restaurants in Southington and North Branford. McLain also owns Nataz restaurants in Southington, North Branford and Clinton.
The bookseller will open its new Westfarms location Wednesday, July 29, five months after announcing it would leave its longtime standalone store on Southeast Road. The previous location, which operated for 33 years, closed in May.
The new store occupies more than 22,000 square feet on the mall’s lower level next to Macy’s in the former Forever 21 space.
Dining and Cooking