NewCanaanite.com (https://newcanaanite.com/category/new-canaan-business-2/page/2)
New Canaan businesses are the lifeblood not just of the “Magic Circle” downtown and other hubs of arts and commerce, but also are critical drivers and supporters of community events, human services and preserving the character of “The Next Station to Heaven.” In this section, we spotlight New Canaan businesses and profile their owners, in long-form interviews and spot features, celebrating our anchor businesses and welcoming those new to town.
The owner of a commercial building on Elm Street last week filed papers to evict a tenant there, saying rent hasn’t been paid since October, court records show. According to a complaint filed Feb. 6 in state Superior Court, the tenant at 39 Elm St. failed to pay $11,250 that month and every month thereafter. The address is the same as the Adirondack Store, which is listed as a non-appearing defendant in the case.
Ann Cheney remembers her first day at work at Walter Stewart’s Market, an August morning 20 years ago. An art history major out of Fairfield University who had worked briefly in that field prior to having children, she heard about the job in New Canaan from a recruiter after leaving a part-time job with a food service provider.
“The store was slow, but I was getting to know the team—Alex, Doug and of course, Bailey—and I’ll never forget the first thing that Alex said to me was, ‘Look around at our customers—this is a place to connect,’ ” Cheney recalled. “And it absolutely has been. It is a local gathering place.”
For two decades, Cheney, longtime store manager at Stewart’s, has greeted customers and co-workers with a smile, overseeing multiple departments in a business that staffs nearly 70 people. Friday will be her last day at work.
A new wellness center is planned for a vacant commercial space on Vitti Street. The former site of a dry cleaners and later an apparel company, the first floor at 43 Vitti St. will be converted into a “boutique coach-led training program” under an application before the Planning & Zoning Commission. The new business, which appears from a site plan application to be called “The Strength Collective”—there’s a Stamford-based company under the same name, according to Connecticut Secretary of the State records—offers services “designed to improve mobility, resilience and long-term health for adults,” the application said. “The training model uses small group sessions, personalized programming, and low noise output,” it said.
A nail salon is planned for a vacant commercial space on Main Street, records show. A street-level business of the recently sold “Raymond Building” at 112 Main St., Spa & Nail New Canaan Inc. is a sole proprietorship offering manicures and pedicures, according to documents on file with the New Canaan Building Department.
Its principal is a Milford resident, according to Connecticut Secretary of the State records. It’s unclear when the business is planning to open. Its managing principal could not be reached by phone or email. Spa & Nail New Canaan will use the street address 116 Main St., according to an application filed Nov.
A one-stop shop for home improvement has opened in the heart of downtown New Canaan. Located at 99 Main St., Resource360 is the brainchild of town resident Todd Sell, a veteran property renovator who launched the business to assist homeowners with both kitchen and bath retail needs as well as services such as property management and interior design, and professional referrals for suppliers and trades such as painters, electricians and plumbers. “People are starting to come in,” Sell said Thursday from the front retail area at Resource360, featuring concrete countertops and custom cabinetry. “The people that come in really like our mix of products and they’re asking a lot of questions. It’s been a good start.”
Those patronizing the business are often preparing to do home renovations or “beginning the process of looking at countertops and cabinetry and lights and mirrors,” among other building materials, he said.