BERLIN – New businesses continue to work toward opening while an existing business is prepping for an expansion in downtown Berlin.
The Sterling Tavern, Rusty Anchor Seafood Market, Broad Street Station, Thunder and Anvil and Mother Flowers are all prepping to open in the coming weeks. In addition, the popular olive oil shop Una Bella Salute will be moving to a larger location on Main Street.
“We’re going to be expanding our varieties of oils and vinegars,” owner Cassandra Brown said. “We just have a drop in the bucket where we are now. We’re hoping to move within the next two weeks.”
Una Bella Salute, currently located at 14 Broad St., is set to take over half of the Art in the Fields building on Main Street. Brown said she was eager to have more space for merchandise as well as a location that didn’t have a leaking roof. She said she was advised by the Broad Street building’s owner that it would be demolished this fall.
Brown, who lives in Berlin and volunteered at the town’s welcome center before joining the staff at Una Bella Salute and eventually buying the business, is just the latest in a long line of Berlin merchants that have expanded their operations after starting small in the town.
“It’s almost a tradition in Berlin,” said Ivy Wells, the town’s economic and community development director.
She pointed out that many existing businesses, including Heart of Gold, World of Toys, Patty Jean’s Boutique, Uncle Jon’s Soap and Life’s Simple Pleasures, had moved to larger and more prominent storefronts after starting small, often on side streets.
“It’s the magic of Berlin,” Wells said.
She said the Sterling Tavern, taking over the space previously occupied by Fins, is aiming to open next week. The Rusty Anchor Seafood Market, located on Pitts Street, is also nearly ready to welcome customers. Broad Street Station, located in the former Southern States building, has undergone renovations and is expected to open in May. Thunder and Anvil, a jewelry studio, will open on the second floor of 16 N. Main St. on May 8.
In the old PNC Bank drive-thru on Bay Street, Fathom’s Hunter Smith is in the process of setting up a flower stall.
“We are very much looking forward to opening our petite garden shop Mother’s Day weekend,” Smith said. “We will be offering a variety of indoor and outdoor plants, potting materials as well as fresh cut stems when available.”
Around the corner, the Main Street Enchanted Tea Room, which has been closed during the pandemic, is expected to open by reservation only in May.
