Business

Businesses: You’ve Got Till 6 PM Friday to Apply for CT Recovery Bridge Loan Program

Town Eateries Allowed Banners and Sandwich Board Signs in the COVID-19 Era

Grieb’s Pharmacy Says Store Now Closed to Customers — Instead: Outside Pickups and Deliveries

Not Just for Restaurants: Barrett Bookstore Now Offers Curbside Pickup, Free Delivery Service

You Can Get Take-Out, Curbside Pickup or Delivery from These Darien Restaurants

First Selectman on What You Can Do to Cope With, Reduce Spread of COVID-19 in Darien

Tri-State Govs Announce Restaurants, Bars, Cinemas, Gyms to Close Starting Monday Night

Most Recent Darien Health Inspection Reports for Food-Serving Establishments

Latest Health Inspection Reports: How Darien Restaurants Fared

Latest Health Inspection Reports for Darien Restaurants

Darien Chowder Challenge — Try ‘Em and Vote on Feb 27

Here’s How Darien Food Serving Establishments Fared in the Latest Health Inspection Reports

Marketer Warren Tuttle of Darien Speaks on ‘Open Innovation’ Wednesday to Darien Men’s Association

CT Green Bank Offers Free Electric Vehicle Charging Stations to Businesses and Organizations That Qualify

Newest Health Ratings From Darien Restaurant and School Inspections

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Businesses serving Darienites

So many applications for loans have come in to the state Department of Economic Community Development that its commissioner announced Friday that no more would be accepted after 6 p.m., Friday night (tonight). In an email sent out Friday afternoon, the Darien Chamber of Commerce passed on this announcement from the commissioner:

At 6 p.m. today, DECD will stop accepting applications for the Connecticut Recovery Bridge Loan program. We have seen significant demand for the program, receiving over 4,000 applications since the program went operational yesterday morning. Within the last 24 hours, DECD, along with our partner Connecticut Innovations, has added additional staff to process applications for this loan program. In addition, we are doubling the funding in the program to $50 million. We will continue to monitor this rapidly evolving situation and keep in close contact with our small business and nonprofit partners as they grapple with the effects of this pandemic on their operations and employees. We feel it is prudent to hit pause and stop taking more applications right now to ensure we can process the current queue efficiently and get this much needed money out the door as quickly as possible. We want to be fair to all applicants and taking more requests would not be right.

In order to help out the town’s restaurants, whose business is expected to suffer when indoor restaurant seating was banned by the governor in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Darien is easing town regulations on banners and “sandwich board” signs. Here’s the announcement late Wednesday afternoon from Jeremy Ginsberg, town planning & zoning director:

In accordance with state and local temporary mandates, restaurants and food service establishments are now prohibited from allowing patrons to gather at their establishments. Recognizing that such businesses still provide valuable services to the public by providing food and beverage on a take-out or delivery basis, the Darien Planning and Zoning Department has authorized the temporary suspension of the restrictions of the Darien Zoning Regulations which only allow temporary banners for seven days and which prohibit sandwich board or A-frame type signs. It is the intent of this action to allow restaurants and food service establishments that are open for take-out and delivery to have a single temporary sandwich board or A-frame type sign on the walkway near the entrance door. The display area cannot exceed 6 (six) square feet per side.

With the small size of Grieb’s Pharmacy’s store, the business has particular challenges in keeping customers safe while many people need to stay at a distance from strangers. So the store announced it’s closing to the public and providing prescriptions either at the door or by delivery, effective today, Wednesday, March 18. Here’s the announcement:

The Coronavirus has presented us with a unique set of challenges to work with within the confines of our small pharmacy. After much thought and concern for the health of the community, as well as our pharmacy team, effective Wednesday, March 18, we will be closing our doors to all walk-in traffic. There will be no interruption in our services as all prescriptions and over the counter items will now be delivered to mailboxes or front steps if required.

Barrett Bookstore has announced that it’s started a curbside pickup service for books that you can order from the store website. Or don’t go to the curbside: The store now also has free delivery to addresses in Darien and Rowayton. The store joins lots of Darien restaurants now offering delivery, take-out and curbside service (and remember, it’s becoming a lot easier to park downtown). While authorities are urging you to keep your social distance, COVID-19 is hitting the world economy like an asteroid smacking the planet, you can still support some Darien stores without going inside. Editor’s note: A slew of bookstores around the country are doing what Barrett Bookstore is doing with curbside pickup and deliveries.

Seoul restaurant empty Photo by Jouwen Wang, unsplash.com

Darien town government has published a list of town restaurants open for take-out services, curbside pickup, home delivery or some combination of those services while their seating is closed to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Editor’s note: A “sidebar” with advice from a National Public Radio article has been added to the bottom of this page. Also, Stop and Shop supermarkets, including the one in Goodwives Shopping Center at 25 Old Kings Hwy. North, will be open early mornings for only seniors (60 years old and older) from 6 to 7:30 a.m. every day. The rest of the public can come in after that.

First Selectman Jayme Stevenson, in a “Code Red” phone call to town residents Monday night, gave an update on what the town government is now doing to help halt the spread of COVID-19 in Darien. She added that what you do in that effort is extremely important, and important now. For instance, Stevenson said: “In spite of this formal guidance, play dates, dinner parties and all social gatherings should be put on temporary hold — you may not know if you or others are contagious. The risks are just not worth taking. “All these efforts, while extraordinary to be sure, are intended to slow the spread of the virus, reduce the chances of overwhelming our healthcare system and to save lives.”

Coronavirus illustration CDC wide for facebook

As of 8 p.m., Monday night in Connecticut, New York state and New Jersey, restaurants and bars are closed except for take-out and delivery food services, and social and recreational gatherings can have no more than 50 people at one event, the governors of all three states announced Monday morning. Also, “the three governors said they will temporarily close movie theaters, gyms and fitness centers, and similar public workout facilities and studios,” according to an announcement from Gov. Ned Lamont’s office. Many people continued going to restaurants and bars in the area this past weekend, according to numerous news accounts. In Downtown Stamford between 4 and 5 p.m., Sunday, patrons could be seen dining in and coming in and out of restaurants and bars. Bars that don’t serve food will be required to close “temporarily,” but the announcement didn’t give any indication how long that part of the order, or any other parts of it, would take effect.

Health Department Inspection Ratings Restaurants 11-17-17

Here’s how Darien restaurants and other food-serving places fared in the latest inspection reports, released Thursday by the Darien Health Department. The department on Thursday released six reports of inspection visits from Feb. 14 to March 7. Of those, three inspections resulted in a “B” rating and three more received an “A.” No establishment was rated “C.”

Here’s how Darien restaurants and other food-serving places fared in the latest inspection reports, released Thursday by the Darien Health Department. The department on Thursday released four reports of inspection visits from Feb. 27 to 28. Of those, one inspection resulted in a “B” rating and “A” was the rating for the three others. No establishment was rated “C.”

Here’s how Darien restaurants and other food-serving places fared in the latest inspection reports, released Thursday by the Darien Health Department. See Also:
Other, recent food-related articles:

Darien Chowder Challenge — Try ‘Em and Vote on Feb 27
Stamford Downtown Winter Restaurant Weeks Start Monday, Run Through March 1

The department on Thursday released eight reports of inspection visits from Feb. 8 to 18. Of those, two inspections resulted in a “B” rating and “A” was the rating for six others. No establishment was rated “C.”

Darien Chamber Chowder Challenge wide for Facebook

Darien Chamber of Commerce is organizing a “Chowder Challenge” for participants to both network and taste different chowders created by chamber members. Get ready all you chowder lovers to come to Deane, Inc and their kitchen showroom. — an announcement from the Darien Chamber of Commerce

Attendees not only will be tasting chowders but voting for the People’s Choice Award. Along with the chowder tastings, refreshments are included — beer, wine and sparkling water, along with light hors d’oeuvres. There will also be a drawing with free prizes.

Here’s how Darien restaurants and other food-serving places fared in the latest inspection reports, released Thursday by the Darien Health Department. The department on Thursday released eight reports of inspection visits from Feb. 7 to 13. Of those, five inspections resulted in a “B” rating and “A” was the rating for three others. No establishment was rated “C.”

Warren Tuttle, a Darien resident who marketed many of the kitchen products you’ve seen on shelves marked “As Seen on TV,” will speak Wednesday morning to the Darien Men’s Association about “Open Innovation.” Warren’s talk at the DMA’s meeting begins at about 10:45 a.m., Wednesday, Feb. 12 at the Darien Community Association, 274 Middlesex Road, Darien. Here’s the DMA announcement:

For those familiar with Smart Spin, the television direct response mega-hit kitchenware product [and if you’re not familiar with the name, check out the picture in this article], Warren Tuttle was the person behind the scenes helping to orchestrate its overnight success. Teaming with a Boston based inventor, Tuttle selected an explosive path to market.

EV Charging Station Electric Vehicle Charging Station CT Green Bank

The Connecticut Green Bank is encouraging building owners to increase their energy saving measures and embrace the electric vehicle (EV) movement by offering free EV stations through a new program — Charge Up CT Buildings (CUCB). — an announcement from the Connecticut Green Bank
Commercial property owners who borrow over $150,000 with the C-PACE program may be eligible to receive up to three EV charging stations and installation for free. The application deadline is May 15, 2020. Property owners are encouraged to contact the Green Bank early to start the application process. C-PACE (Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy) is an innovative financing tool that allows building owners to access 100% financing for energy improvements, realize positive cash flow immediately, and create more comfortable, efficient buildings.

« August 2022 »

Here’s how Darien restaurants and other food-serving places fared in the latest inspection reports, released Thursday by the Darien Health Department. The department released seven health inspection reports on Thursday, and every single one of the inspections took place on Jan. 31, according to the department. Of those, four inspections resulted in a “B” rating and “A” was the rating for four others. No establishment was rated “C.”