"While putting the focus on restaurants exclusively has been done in Newtown and across the state for years, it is my department's aim to leverage the popularity and traffic generated by our many excellent food service establishments to help boost exposure to all our other Newtown businesses."
John Voket wrote that in a September 25 letter to The Newtown Bee. He runs the town's Economic and Community Development department, and the line explains this October in Newtown. The restaurant week that used to fill tables is back with a longer name, Restaurant and Business Appreciation Week. It runs October 16 through 25 and gets a new kickoff night on October 15. Restaurants are still at the center of it. They now also serve as the way in to everything else in town.
That same thinking shows up in other places this fall. It's in a new South Main Street spot that wants to be part of your whole day, and in a Church Hill Road redevelopment where restaurants became a permitted use this summer.
How the Directory Fits In
The change is simple. Every diner at every participating restaurant gets a direct link to the town's free business directory at newtown.org. Voket wrote that the directory already lists hundreds of businesses and that the department wants "many hundreds more" on it. Listings are free, and the department aimed to approve new ones within 24 to 48 hours.
That means the 10 days also give you a reason to find the plumber, tutor or physical therapist who works a mile from your house. The restaurants bring in the crowd. The directory is how the town hopes to send some of that crowd to other local businesses.
The event platform describes the dining offers as prix fixe or special menus. Regular menus stay available, and tax and gratuity are usually not included. As of early October, every participant's listing still said "Menu coming soon." So the specific dishes and prices are still to come.
The Roster, and Who's Pouring at Sip & Savor
The week has 21 participants. Fourteen of them are also on the list for the first-ever Sip & Savor on October 15. The table shows which is which. That's handy if you want to try something at the kickoff and come back later for a full meal.
| Restaurant | Oct. 16–25 Week | Oct. 15 Sip & Savor |
|---|---|---|
| Boost Bowls | Yes | Yes |
| Cosmic Cafe + Smoothie Bar | Yes | Yes |
| Dolce Italian Ice & Gelato | Yes | Yes |
| Fusion 25 | Yes | Yes |
| Gino's Parlor of Sandy Hook | Yes | Yes |
| Good Old Days Pizzeria & Cocktail Den | Yes | Yes |
| Mangia Mi East | Yes | Yes |
| Marketplace Kitchen & Bar | Yes | Yes |
| Marygold's on Main | Yes | Yes |
| Nostrano Italian Eatery | Yes | Yes |
| Perfusion Espresso & Cocktail Bar | Yes | Yes |
| Sal e Pepe Contemporary Italian Bistro | Yes | Yes |
| Taco Dia | Yes | Yes |
| Two Hounds Public House | Yes | Yes |
| Cover Two Sports Cafe | Yes | No |
| My Place Restaurant | Yes | No |
| NewSylum Brewing Co. | Yes | No |
| Tambascio's Italian Grill | Yes | No |
| The Ranch Pub | Yes | No |
| Newtown Deli & Catering | Yes | No |
| Station 25 Restaurant | Yes | No |
The Bee's October 2 kickoff story includes Station 25 in its list of participating restaurants. The event's own Sip & Savor page doesn't. Station 25 is definitely part of the full week.
Sip & Savor runs 6 to 9 pm at the Newtown Community Center, 8 Simpson Street. Attendees vote on Best Appetizer and Best Cocktail/Mocktail, and Voket's letter promises samples, live music and raffles. Tickets were listed at $50 per person, for ages 21 and up, through the It's Restaurant Week event page. In early October, that page said "Ticket sales have closed!" while still showing an order form. Check the event page before you plan your Thursday night around it.
Where the Ticket Money Goes
Five dollars from every Sip & Savor ticket goes to Real Food CT. It's a Newtown-based nonprofit founded in 2019 that connects Connecticut farms with food-access organizations. Its work happens close to home. It runs a Food Hub and a 10,000-square-foot giving garden at Sticks and Stones Farm, and it manages 30 raised beds at the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary. Organizations that receive its food include FAITH Food Pantry, Newtown Congregational Church, the Newtown Senior Center and Rescue Church New England.
The Bee's kickoff story names FAITH Food Pantry as the raffle beneficiary. So the money from the night stays in local food-security work twice, once through the tickets and once through the raffle.
Two Hounds Shows What That Looks Like on One Block
Two Hounds Public House is the newest name on both lists. Co-owner James Molina renovated the former Farmhouse Restaurant space at 43 South Main Street. The restaurant was already serving customers during a soft opening before its September 11 ribbon cutting, which First Selectman Bruce Walczak was expected to attend.
It's set up to cover the whole day. "We are more than a coffee shop, bakery, café, restaurant, pub or bar. We bring all of those experiences together under one roof so our guests can make us part of their entire day," the business said, as reported by Patch. Inside, you'll find couches and armchairs, café tables, bar seats and regular dining tables. The menu focuses on homemade food without processed ingredients, and gluten-free or vegetarian options cost nothing extra.
The hours back that up. Two Hounds opens at 6 am Monday through Saturday. It closes at 10 pm Monday through Thursday and at midnight on Friday and Saturday. Sunday hours are 10 am to 2 pm. A 6 am espresso and a late Saturday drink at the same address is the kind of all-day draw the appreciation week is built around.
Church Hill Road Is Next in Line
Restaurant week also points toward places that aren't open yet. On July 2, Newtown's Planning and Zoning Commission took up changes for the former wire factory at 57 and 57A Church Hill Road. The commission amended the town's M-5 zoning rules to make restaurants and medical offices permitted uses there, saying the change would give the site more flexibility in attracting tenants. According to the minutes, restaurant use took effect July 25, 2026.
The old industrial building is becoming a nine-tenant retail center, and Catalyst Training Gym is already open there. Danbury developer Anthony Rizzo Jr. has been working with two possible restaurant tenants. Froggy's Deli is a New York-style deli with a location in New Fairfield, and Tomo 202 is an Asian fusion restaurant in Brookfield. An orthopedic practice offering physical therapy and MRI services has also been proposed. The July report described both restaurants as prospective tenants and gave no opening dates.
"We like taking older buildings that have become eyesores and going into a community to become a good neighbor by making them vital again," Rizzo said.
More is already happening on that stretch of road. Monarch Physical Therapy held its grand opening September 4 at 61 Church Hill Road, offering pelvic-health and orthopedic care plus fitness and recovery services. At 111 Church Hill Road, Suzuki Music School now takes up the entire back building and has added practice and recital space. New Insights Boutique and Spiritual Wellness Center has moved into the front building. The road already has a gym, a physical therapy clinic and a music school, and restaurants are now permitted. It's the same lineup the directory is designed to connect.
An October Calendar to Plan Around
Here are dated events from the town, Community Center and local organizations that fit around a restaurant week dinner, in date order:
- October 11, 1–3 pm. Pumpkin painting at the Newtown Community Center, 8 Simpson Street.
- October 15, 6–9 pm. Sip & Savor at the Community Center. Check ticket availability first.
- October 16–25. Restaurant and Business Appreciation Week at the 21 participating restaurants.
- Saturdays and Sundays, 10 am–5 pm. Castle Hill Farm's corn maze at 1 Sugar Lane, open since October 3. Flashlight maze nights are Saturday, October 17, Saturday, October 24 and Friday, October 30, from 6 to 9 pm.
- October 23, 5:30–7:30 pm. Hoot 'n Howl at the Community Center, with a DJ dance party, hayride, games and crafts.
- Saturday, October 24, 11 am–2 pm. The Sandy Hook Halloween Walk through Sandy Hook Village, with extra activities at the Heritage Park pavilion, 7 Glen Road.
- October 25, 5–7 pm. Free Trunk or Treat in the Community Center and Senior Center parking lots. Bring a nonperishable item for Faith Food Pantry.
- Tuesdays through October 27, 2–5:30 pm. The Fairfield Hills farmers market at 3 Primrose Street.
Trunk or Treat lands on the last day of restaurant week and also collects food for Faith Food Pantry. That makes it the third time this October that a town event supports local food access.
If you own a Newtown business and want to know how the directory and this kind of local traffic could help you, or you're thinking about what your home on these streets is worth, Stephen Mele and The TurnKey Team can walk you through the numbers. Book a Call, and we'll talk about it over coffee at one of the places on the list.
