Business

Migoto Boba Tea Marks One Year on Main Street

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Migoto Boba Tea is not Amanda Cui’s first business venture, but so far, it has been her most popular. 

Cui first entered New Canaan’s competitive retail scene back in 2016 with Funky Monkey, which she described as a “high-end kids’ store,” but decided to shut the business down as the COVID-19 pandemic approached, just two years after it opened. 

Last August, Migoto first opened its doors at 168 Main St. across from the New Canaan Library, and since then it has found itself many regular customers. Cui attributed the success to the “artificial free” ingredients used by the store. “Everything is real fruits, real ingredients,” she said. “The customers keep coming back, they stick with the same drink, they like it so much.”

A former New York City resident, Cui moved to New Canaan with her family eight years ago, seeking as safe as possible an environment for her children.

Around Town

New Canaan Rotary Club’s ‘Lobsterfest’ Set for Sept. 29 and 30

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One of New Canaan’s most celebrated community events is scheduled to return this September, though it may look a little different than some locals remember. Founded by the New Canaan Rotary Club, the first Lobsterfest was held 38 years ago as a way to raise money for local nonprofit organizations, as well as offer a weekend of fresh seafood and lobster-themed festivities to the local community. Last year, it raised more than $60,000 for local nonprofits. Until the COVID-19 pandemic, Lobsterfest was synonymous with the New Canaan Museum & Historical Society campus, having been located on its grounds for decades, but with new lockdown restrictions, the club was forced to change the format of its fundraiser entirely, or shut it down. Leo Karl III, a 35-year member of the Rotary Club, has been an active participant in organizing Lobsterfest for nearly as long as it has been around.

Business

P&Z Approves Optometrist Use at Former Pet Valu Space Downtown

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The Planning & Zoning Commission at its most recent meeting approved a change of use for a vacant commercial space on Forest Street, formerly occupied by pet store chain Pet Valu. The 1,875-square-foot property at 21 Forest St. sits next to Green and Tonic, and has remained empty since Pet Valu shut down 358 of its stores across the nation, facing challenges brought on by the pandemic. There has been little news about the building’s use until July, when Paul Tully, a representative of the building’s owner, brought a change of use request to P&Z for the building’s designation to be changed from retail to service establishment. On an application, Tully states that he has a tenant who has signed a lease to open an optometrist practice at the location, selling “optical retail products, i.e. glasses, sunglasses, and related material with limited optometric services.”  

Renovations for the building are still underway, but the fire marshal has already approved several features such as the building’s sprinkler system, Tully said during P&Z’s July 26 meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. 

It will be ADA-compliant, and include parking spaces in the rear, he said.

Amy Murphy Carroll

Deadline Passes: Moynihan Will Not Force Primary

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New Canaan’s incumbent first selectman did not file papers to force a primary in September, town officials have confirmed. First Selectman Kevin Moynihan, who was soundly defeated by Republican challenger Dionna Carlson at the GOP Caucus last month, had until 4 p.m. Thursday to file with the town clerk. 

Yet, as Town Clerk Claudia Weber confirmed in an email to NewCanaanite.com, no runner-up candidates filed an application. “No one filed a petition for the First Selectman race, and New Canaan will not be having a Primary this year,” Weber said. That means Carlson will face off against Democrat Amy Murphy Carroll for New Canaan’s top job in the Nov. 7 election. 

It also means that Moynihan’s six-year tenure is coming to a close.

Business

Area Couple Takes Over as New Canaan’s ‘Town Greeter’

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The NewCanaanite.com Summer Internship Program is sponsored by Carriage Barn Arts Center. Moving to a new town can be stressful for many reasons, including when it comes to meeting your new neighbors. For one area couple, making that process easier for move-ins is a business. David Saunders and his fiancée, Christine Santori, of Ridgefield, recently took over the job of “Town Greeter” from Steph Radman. “It seemed like the perfect thing,”  Saunders told NewCanaanite.com. 

With careers in the print and promotional marketing business under their belts, the couple took over as town greeter in their hometown of Ridgefield in 2019.