Three new restaurants will add to the diverse dining options in Storrs Center, the downtown area near the University of Connecticut. Square Peg Pizzeria, Playa Bowls and Haven Hot Chicken will soon open their doors to the UConn students and community, according to the dining section of the downtown Storrs website.
Square Peg Pizzeria will be opening in the former Geno’s Grille space on 9 Dog Lane Road. The pizza shop has a variety of locations in Connecticut including Vernon, Glastonbury, Berlin, Enfield, Orange and Higganum, in addition to new locations opening in Storrs, Wethersfield and Windsor. According to their website, they have a variety of signature brick oven pizzas, pastas, sandwiches and salads.
Playa Bowls has a variety of different acai bowls, smoothies and juices on their menu. In addition to their other Connecticut locations in West Hartford, Glastonbury, Darien, Avon and Fairfield, they will soon move to the former 7-Eleven space on 1266 Storrs Road.
Haven Hot Chicken is coming to the former Wingstop location on Storrs Road. They also have other Connecticut locations in New Haven, Orange, North Haven and Norwalk. Although known for their spicy chicken sandwiches, they also have vegetarian options, according to their website.
“We are very excited to welcome Playa Bowls, Square Peg Pizzeria, and Haven Hot Chicken to Downtown Storrs. With their proven track record in Connecticut, and unique offerings, they will add to the diversity of our eating options,” Cynthia Van Zelm, executive director of the Mansfield Downtown Partnership, said in an email interview with the Daily Campus.
The Mansfield Downtown Partnership is a non-profit organization formed by the Town of Mansfield and UConn to redevelop downtown Storrs, according to the mission statement on their website. As of June 2023, there are 68 businesses and organizations operating in downtown Storrs.
“[I am] always delighted to have new businesses come to downtown Storrs. We have some wonderful food choices so that is always good news,” Antonia Moran, mayor of Mansfield, said.
Moran said having these new options will add to the plethora of options in downtown Storrs and will be a great addition for UConn students and the Mansfield community.
“I am hoping people who go to UConn and people that come to our town events will stop to eat [at the new restaurants]. And clearly our neighboring towns will come to downtown Storrs and bring business that way too,” Moran said.
Zelm explained that hopefully by early next year, UConn students and the Mansfield community will be able to enjoy the new dining options.
“While there are no definitive dates for opening, our understanding is that these eateries all plan to be open by early 2024,” Zelm said.
A full list of downtown Storrs businesses can be found on their website.
4 restaurants, actually. Place 2 Be signed a deal with the Downtown Storrs renting company but they’re not as far along with the deals/building process as the aforementioned 3 places.