Pepe’s Pizza, located in the Elmwood Shopping Center at 1126-1148 New Britain Avenue in West Hartford, is set to expand. The popular New Haven-based pizzeria, which opened in West Hartford in September 2013, will nearly double its space by taking over an adjacent, currently vacant area.
The expansion will include private dining, food preparation space (with the addition of an oven), and a take-out pick-up area. A new private dining section will add 26 seats.
In June 2020, the West Hartford Town Council approved changes to the property’s Special Development District. This included allowing an extension of the Elmwood Shopping Center’s façade and plans to build out a former storage area. Initially, there was talk of a physical therapy business occupying the space, but those plans did not come to fruition.
The property owner, Hare Associates, LLC, leases 3,277 square feet to Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana and is now seeking approval to lease an additional 2,230 square feet of adjacent space to the restaurant. Since the property is part of a Special Development District, approval from the town is required.
According to Town Planner Todd Dumais, the proposed changes to parking, signage, and the building’s design fall within his administrative approval. Dumais’ intention to approve the request appeared on the Town Council agenda Tuesday. The Council had the option to reject the decision and request a full application process, but chose not to do so.
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