Downtown Shelton sees businesses growing
Paper: Connecticut Post (Bridgeport, CT)
Title: Downtown Shelton sees businesses growing
Author: STEVEN ANDREWS
Date: March 30, 2005
Section: Connecticut Post, Page A5
SHELTON - When John and Michele Zoppi were driving around downtown Shelton more than a year ago, they couldn't find a home-style deli where they could grab lunch. So they decided to fill that void and opened their own.
Now their business, Zop's Deli at 97 Center St., is one of several restaurants in the area that have opened or been renovated.
The Zoppis celebrated the first anniversary of their restaurant's opening early in March, and see it as a benchmark for creating more excitement downtown.
"In the years I've been in Shelton, I've seen some marked changes, but there have to be reasons for people to come down here," John Zoppi, a Shelton resident, said.
"As more businesses come down, there'll be more people. Everybody needs to do their part to keep it going."
Another restaurant dedicated to helping the revitalization of downtown is Liquid Lunch.
The owners of the Howe Avenue soup-and-sandwich shop recently added a new section that gives them more room for the lunch crowd, as well as an area for their new nighttime fare.
"We started to serve dinner and dessert, as well as bringing in local acoustic acts on the weekend," said manager Michele Bialek, who opened the store with her husband, Fred.
She said she sees great potential in the area, which is a sharp contrast from how she remembers the area during her childhood.
"When I grew up here, there really wasn't anything to do," she said. "I think people are getting sick of malls and a lot more will be coming downtown now since there are so many reasons to come here."
Shelton Alderman Stan Kudej, R-2, has seen a concerted effort to turn downtown, the area he represents, into a gathering point for many years.
"That's really been our project for a while," he said. "It takes a little time, but you can see the trend over the last dozen years or so. It's really seen a steady and positive improvement."
Kudej also said the state and city have been proactive in encouraging growth by loans to prospective businesses, as well as other help.
Bialek thinks that there is already plenty of incentive for people to come downtown and there would be even more if more parking was available.
"I think that's the only thing really stopping more people from showing up, but it's something all of the businesses have been working with the town to fix," she said.
Author: STEVEN ANDREWS
Section: Connecticut Post
(c) 2005 The Connecticut Post. All rights reserved. Reproduced with the permission of Media NewsGroup, Inc. by NewsBank, Inc.
Title: Downtown Shelton sees businesses growing
Author: STEVEN ANDREWS
Date: March 30, 2005
Section: Connecticut Post, Page A5
SHELTON - When John and Michele Zoppi were driving around downtown Shelton more than a year ago, they couldn't find a home-style deli where they could grab lunch. So they decided to fill that void and opened their own.
Now their business, Zop's Deli at 97 Center St., is one of several restaurants in the area that have opened or been renovated.
The Zoppis celebrated the first anniversary of their restaurant's opening early in March, and see it as a benchmark for creating more excitement downtown.
"In the years I've been in Shelton, I've seen some marked changes, but there have to be reasons for people to come down here," John Zoppi, a Shelton resident, said.
"As more businesses come down, there'll be more people. Everybody needs to do their part to keep it going."
Another restaurant dedicated to helping the revitalization of downtown is Liquid Lunch.
The owners of the Howe Avenue soup-and-sandwich shop recently added a new section that gives them more room for the lunch crowd, as well as an area for their new nighttime fare.
"We started to serve dinner and dessert, as well as bringing in local acoustic acts on the weekend," said manager Michele Bialek, who opened the store with her husband, Fred.
She said she sees great potential in the area, which is a sharp contrast from how she remembers the area during her childhood.
"When I grew up here, there really wasn't anything to do," she said. "I think people are getting sick of malls and a lot more will be coming downtown now since there are so many reasons to come here."
Shelton Alderman Stan Kudej, R-2, has seen a concerted effort to turn downtown, the area he represents, into a gathering point for many years.
"That's really been our project for a while," he said. "It takes a little time, but you can see the trend over the last dozen years or so. It's really seen a steady and positive improvement."
Kudej also said the state and city have been proactive in encouraging growth by loans to prospective businesses, as well as other help.
Bialek thinks that there is already plenty of incentive for people to come downtown and there would be even more if more parking was available.
"I think that's the only thing really stopping more people from showing up, but it's something all of the businesses have been working with the town to fix," she said.
Author: STEVEN ANDREWS
Section: Connecticut Post
(c) 2005 The Connecticut Post. All rights reserved. Reproduced with the permission of Media NewsGroup, Inc. by NewsBank, Inc.
posted by Steven Andrews at
8:25 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home