Business

‘The Waveny Polo Bar & Grill’ Opens on Pine Street

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The owners of the popular Spiga restaurant in downtown New Canaan have opened a new eatery, The Waveny Polo Bar & Grill, on Pine Street. Located in the former South End space, The Waveny soft-opened last week and the Racanelli Restaurant Group is “feeling great,” according to principal Gino Racanelli. “We’re doing very well,” Racanelli told NewCanaanite.com one afternoon this week. “It’s tough in the beginning of any business, especially a restaurant. We created something we feel is perfect for New Canaan.

Ann Cheney

New Canaan Holiday Shopping: Walter Stewart’s Market [Q&A]

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For today’s installment in our local holiday shopping series, we spoke to Ann Cheney, store manager at Walter Stewart’s Market. (Note that the deadline for ordering for the holidays from the Stewart’s meat department is 12 p.m. Thursday and the catering department cut-off is 3 p.m. Thursday.)

Here’s a transcription of our conversation. 

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New Canaanite: What’s it been like this holiday shopping season here at Stewart’s? Ann Cheney: It’s been very busy. Our customers are looking forward to the holiday with great anticipation, and preparing their homes for arriving family members. And we’re ready. 

What have been some of the special items or holiday-related items that have been moving well? 

The main event is, I think, the focal point when you’re starting to plan for the holiday.

Business

New Canaan Holiday Shopping: New Canaan Toy Store [Q&A]

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For today’s installment in our local holiday shopping series, we spoke to Sophia Patterson of the New Canaan Toy Store at 94 Park St. (great parking at the lot almost directly opposite at the corner of Park and Pine). Purchased by new owners six years ago, the Toy Store underwent an extensive renovation during the pandemic and has received high praise for how many great items it’s able to pack inside the shop while still feeling open and well-organized. “This is a really fun time of year for us,” owner Annie Hedrick said. “We spend months preparing and stocking up for Christmas and we love to see families enjoying shopping and discovering new toys together.”

Business

New Canaan Holiday Shopping: Elm Street Books [Q&A]

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For today’s installment in our local holiday shopping series, we spoke to Manda Riggs of Elm Street Books at 35 Elm St. Here’s a transcription of our conversation. 

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New Canaanite: How’s it going so far this holiday shopping season? Manda Riggs: I would say it’s been soft, actually. I’m not entirely sure if it was the shorter shopping season—‘longer November, shorter December,’ as we say—not sure if it was an election result. I looked at our numbers from 2020 and 2016. It looks like our Decembers in those years were also a tiny bit soft, so we’ll see.

Business

‘We Want Them To Feel Really Good’: LaSource Opens on Elm Street 

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[For this installment of our local holiday shopping series, we interviewed Jessica Johnson, who last month opened LaSource at 44 Elm St.]

Jessica Johnson opened her first LaSource store in Darien a little over one year ago. A successful commercial real estate agent who used to work as a professional ballet dancer, Johnson had the idea in creating the shop to “try and reinvent a lingerie store.”

“I grew up a Victoria’s Secret customer in my 20s and everybody knows how Victoria’s Secret sells to women and what that looks like,” Johnson said Thursday afternoon from the floor of her warm, inviting new location in downtown New Canaan. “It is very much about seduction, whereas we’ve kind of taken seduction out of the store and tried to just create a beautiful space for women to feel comfortable in and supported. And we offer everything from bra fitting to resort wear and swimwear. And for all ages, really.