GLASTONBURY — The owner of The Place 2 Be will open a Mediterranean-themed restaurant in the spring at The Shops at Somerset Square in Glastonbury, one of four new leases announced this week at the lifestyle shopping center.
PITA, to be located in 5,500-square-foot space formerly occupied by Max Amore, will be among the latest dining ventures by Gina Luari, the founder and chief executive of The Statement Group, based in Hartford.
Luari has six locations of The Place 2 Be, four of them in Connecticut: two in Hartford, one in downtown; one each in West Hartford and New Haven. The restaurant also has opened in Springfield, Mass., and Dallas, Texas.
Earlier this year, Luari opened RAW*, a seafood and raw bar, on Church Street in downtown Hartford. She also plans to open Charred, a pizzeria, on the ground floor of the historic firehouse on Pearl Street in downtown Hartford. The upper floors of the structure are being converted to apartments.
New CT seafood restaurant is ‘redefining the raw bar experience’
In addition, leases were announced for:
♦ Bareburger, an East Coast burger chain that uses locally sourced, sustainable and organic ingredients. Vegan and gluten-free options also will be offered in an “allergy-friendly” kitchen. Bareburger will have handcrafted cocktails on the menu. The fast-casual restaurant will open in early 2024 in a 2,300-square-foot space next to Chipotle.
♦ Social Lounge will focus its menu on small plates, flatbreads, craft cocktails and other specialty items. The 2,000-square-foot space, opening later this year next to Max Fish, will have space to rent for private events and serve as one of the few establishments in town to offer late night food and beverages.
♦ HotWorx is a virtual exercise program led by certified instructors in which users experience the benefits of infrared heat absorption, while engaged in a 30-minute isometric workout or a 15-minute high-intensity, interval training session. Classes are offered 24/7 in a patented, sauna-style environment and also include hot yoga, hot pilates and hot core. HotWorx will be located in 2,000-square-feet next to Jos. A. Bank. The opening date is still to be determined.
“The Shops at Somerset Square are excited to welcome three new restaurants and a well-known fitness center to our dynamic mix of tenants,” Michele Aponte, the lifestyle center’s general manager, said.
“We are dedicated to providing the residents of Glastonbury and its neighboring communities with the finest retail experience available, and we have full confidence that these new additions will excite our local community and add value to it.”
Kenneth R. Gosselin can be reached at kgosselin@courant.com.
