HERE’S THE SCOOP…
FIRST LOOK AT CHICK-FIL-A
Chick-fil-A is about a week and a half from their grand opening and we were excited to get a first look inside! Owners, Jordan and Emily Snook, live in South Glastonbury and can’t wait to share the Chick-fil-A experience with local patrons. It’s actually incredibly difficult to become a franchisee of the restaurant chain. Every year, only 100 out of 40,000 applicants are selected. Jordan has been with the company for 10 years in different capacities and is finally living his dream. The grand opening on July 26th will include a First 100 Celebration where guests can camp out starting Wednesday morning to try to be one of the first 100 adults through the door to win FREE Chick-fil-A meals. There are rules though, so check their website to see how it works.
INDIE BOOK STORE COMING TO TOWN
Glastonbury resident, Meghan Hayden, was destined to work with books. She was named after the character in the famed book The Thorn Birds after her parents read it to one another while they were dating. Although scandalous, it’s quite the love story. Meghan is the owner of River Bend Bookshop…a soon-to-be Indie book store in town with a hand-selected and highly-curated collection of books. She is currently looking for space, but is making her first appearance as a pop-up shop at this week’s Farmer’s Market. Meghan chose the name for it’s connection to town. Glastonbury actually means bend in the river! Not to mention…the bend is where things slow down…pause…stop. She hopes patrons do just that at her unique store. Find her on Instagram and Facebook to follow her journey.
ORANGETHEORY CELEBRATING MEGA MILESTONE
Orangetheory Glastonbury will host a Small Business Saturday to honor the opening of the chain’s 1000th location in just 10 years. An amazing feat for the single mom who started the business a decade ago. Founder, Ellen Latham, began teaching pilates out of her home to help support her son. When clients asked for more, she developed the Orangetheory workout and eventually franchised across the globe. Super inspiring, right?! The Glastonbury location has experienced their own form of success, signing 500 members in just six months. And, no big deal or anything, but baseball great, Manny Ramirez works out there when he is in Connecticut. Small Business Saturday is July 21st from 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Head down there, take a tour, and see a class in action.
SWEET VENTURE FOR GLASTONBURY NATIVE
Glastonbury natives, Marika Esteves-Smith, and her sister, Ashli Esteves-Nelson (along with her husband, Reggie), recently launched an online bake shop called Brown Butter Creations. They offer cookies, muffins, cupcakes, pound cakes, and…wait for it…POP TARTS! Their signature delight is their brown butter maple cookies! Our sweet tooth is aching and we can’t wait to taste them. Take a look at some of their goodies below. You can order them on their website or have them cater your event.
ODDS AND ENDS…
*Sundance Salon & Spa is moving into the old Lottie’s on New London Turnpike. Right now, Sundance is on Hebron Avenue next to Subway in the same area as Dunkin’ Donuts. They are currently gutting and renovating the new space. We will keep you posted on their move!
*Bodeau Realty Group is hosting their 2nd Glastonbury Movie Night July 19th at 7:00 PM at Riverfront. The feature movie is Goonies and all proceeds from the event go to Autism Speaks.
*Barn Door Blooms has launched their Feature Flower Farm Series with an event at Robb’s Farm July 26th from 1:00-3:00 PM. This will be their first event with families. Tickets are $45 and include 2 ice creams and the family friendly flower arranging class at the farm. Graceful Acres is their Feature Flower Farm for this event.
*Tequilas Grill & Cantina on New London Turnpike has CLOSED. The Mexican restaurant opened in March, but said they were closing for renovations about a month ago. Recently, their sign came down and a for-lease sign went up. Their Facebook page has also disappeared. We are not sure the reason for the closure.