Business

‘Pesca’ Peruvian Restaurant on Main Street To Close This Weekend

By |

Pesca Peruvian Bistro, a well-liked restaurant that opened on Main Street nearly eight years ago, is closing this week. Co-owner Wilson Rodriguez said that he is seeking to retire and sees little benefit in remaining open during a general slowdown of the business. “It sounds crazy, I’m not even 60, but that [retirement] is what I want,” he told NewCanaanite.com. 

Rodriguez added: “We really appreciate all of our loyal customers. I don’t want to disappoint them and I hope they will understand. And they will.”

Launched by Rodriguez and fellow co-owner and chef Jose Draganac in December 2018 in the large restaurant space formerly occupied by the Plum Tree, Pesca emerged as a popular option for those seeking Peruvian cuisine, and also regularly hosted parties, business gatherings and fundraisers for local nonprofit organizations, and supported many community causes.

Business

New Canaan Father-Son Team Launches ‘LCKD Auto Detailing’

By |

The Summer Internship Program is sponsored by the New Canaan Racquet Club. For New Canaan resident Christian Sanchez, starting a business wasn’t just about turning a profit, it was about combining two passions into a career. Christian and his father, Maurice Sanchez, recently launched LCKD Auto Detailing (here on Instagram) a mobile detailing business serving New Canaan and surrounding communities. While Christian Sanchez developed the business concept and performs the detailing work, his father brings years of business experience and helps manage client relationships and day-to-day operations. The idea came to the younger Sanchez while working at a car wash earlier this year.

Around Town

New Canaan Merchants Launch ‘Shop Summer Nights’ Every Thursday Through Labor Day

By |

The Summer Internship Program is sponsored by Karp Associates. A group of downtown New Canaan merchants is keeping their doors open late every Thursday this summer, hoping to draw shoppers into town during the evening hours under a new initiative. “Shop Summer Nights” is organized through the newly formed Shop New Canaan Association, more than one dozen independent retailers that began meeting in late May. Participating stores stay open from 5 to 7 p.m. each Thursday, with a different theme each week. Parking is free after 5 p.m.

Carl Franco, owner of Franco’s Wine Merchants on Elm Street and one of the participants, said the idea came from a recurring conversation with customers.

Business

NCHS Grad Launches ‘We Have a Guy,’ Connecting Families with Local Help

By |

The Summer Internship Program is sponsored by Karp Associates. Mills Legge, a 2024 New Canaan High School graduate, has launched a website that connects local families with college students home for the summer for help with myriad odd jobs such as yard work, dog walking, moving and party help. We Have a Guy went live in late May. A Villanova University rising junior, Legge said the idea for the business came from watching posts pile up on a New Canaan babysitter swap Facebook group. 

“People miss posts and all sorts of things like that,” Legge said. “I knew my parents were always looking for help with odd jobs, and I knew it was the same with a lot of family friends around town.

Business

‘We’re So Thankful’: The Adirondack Store on Elm Street To Close Friday

By |

The Adirondack Store, a beloved retail shop and café that opened on Elm Street seven years ago, is closing its doors this week, the business’s owners say. Christopher English and Stephen Shin said they’re deeply thankful to the New Canaan community for making their store a unique and special place. 

“We’re so thankful that a community like New Canaan really supports its brick-and-mortar,” Shin said. “They come into town, they shop, and we truly have appreciated that, especially in the holidays, from Labor Day to Christmas Day.”

English said that when they opened the Elm Street location, he and Shin “never really imagined that it would turn into a social hub for the community.”

“That’s something we never expected,” English said. “But the people that have worked for us the seven years that we’ve basically been here are just loving and incredible.”

Shin added that those valued workers are “exceptional” and “a reflection of the community.”

“Every single person that’s ever worked for us has been incredible,” he added. English and Shin said that expenses have made the store too difficult to work financially, with $24,000 in monthly rent and bills that have risen steeply in recent years (for example, electric up from $1,200 to $4,000 per month, and health insurance up from $1,600 to $3,900).