WEBSTER - Sweet Kiwi is coming to town. Michael C. O'Brien, principal of Galaxy Development, announced this week that East Village Square has entered into a lease with Sweet Kiwi for a new 1,500 square foot frozen yogurt store that will occupy half of the new retail building being constructed on the east side of the site.  

Sweet Kiwi is a family owned and operated business, headquartered in Lowell. The first store was opened in June of 2012, and there are now six locations in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. It's known for its frozen yogurt with dozens of different toppings.

Mr. O'Brien said he expects a mid-late May opening.

BUSINESSES IN THE NEWS

With winter's frigid temperatures just around the corner, an indoor playground for kids seems like an especially good idea.

Indoor playgrounds where kids can play, jump, and exercise with other kids are popular in the larger metropolitan areas, but have not made it out here, until now.

Cyena's Playground at 75 Main Street in Webster is the first indoor playground hereabouts for kids six and under.

Owner Jose Espinal and his wife Esther moved from Boston to Webster last winter to be closer to his job in Worcester, and Esther found it a challenge to meet friends for her two young daughters to play with. “There was nothing to do with kids,” she said.  And so she would take them to an indoor playground in North Attleboro. Jose suggested, why not set up our own?

Thus the idea for Cyena's Playground in Webster was born, and it opened on November 5. The playground has equipment that every kid just loves: bouncy houses, slides, riding toys, climbing structures.

Just like at an outdoor playground, parents have to watch their own kids at Cyena's. The cost is $7 per day, and you can leave and come back, said Esther. Members of the Mom's Club of Dudley/Webster get $1 off.

The playground also offers birthday party packages, starting at $150 for 15 kids, which includes pizza and a drink. There are options for characters to come to the party, Elmo, Dora, and Big Bird for example. Local teens are hired to don the costume and entertain the kids. For parents, Esther said they'll be offering an adult tray with Spanish appetizers, empinadas, frituras, and homemade tacos.

Playground hours are 10:30 to 5:30 every day. Call 646-309-1476 for more information or go to facebook.com/pages/cyenasplayground.

BUSINESSES IN THE NEWS:

Mohegan Bowl opens

The newly renovated Mohegan Bowl opened last weekend for league and public bowling. “We had an excellent turnout for the first day on Saturday,” said Owner Ed Kinsley. “Roughly 100 people showed up to check things out over the course of the day and the public response was gratifying. Everyone seemed very happy with all the renovations and patient with the ongoing construction.” The “alley” has 20 lanes of candlepin bowling with automatic scoring and automatic bumpers for kids, and there's cosmic bowling for the whole family on Friday and Saturday nights. Work continues on renovating the restaurant, to be named All Star Pub. The Mohegan Bowl is at 51 Thompson Road, Webster.

Panera Bread to build new store in Webster

When the East Village Square shopping center opens next spring, Panera Bread will have a featured location at the corner of Rt. 12 and Rt. 16, next to a relocated clock tower. Mike O'Brien, principle of Galaxy Development, made the announcement this week. See story on page 1. East Village Square is located on the site of the former Cranston Print Works.

Martial arts open house

Mello's Martial Arts Center of Oxford will celebrate 25 years in business with an open house on Saturday, September 29, from 10 a.m. to noon. Owner Wayne Mello says he'll be giving a free uniform to everyone who signs up that day. He invites everyone to come in and take a look...but you have to be at least five years old to take lessons. The karate studio is located at 285 Main St.

Nancy's House of Beauty celebrates 50 years in business

Congratulations to Nancy French, who started her career in Webster fifty years ago. She is still going strong.

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BUSINESS NEWSBITS

Talk of the Town Pub & Grub in Webster had a fire Saturday morning, and will be closed for six to eight weeks as a result. Owner Mike  “Nimzy” Niemszyk said the fire broke out in the kitchen when a compressor overheated and a stack of linens nearby caught fire. Nimzy told us the kitchen will have to be gutted, the walls and ceilings replaced, and new appliances installed. He had officially opened the Main Street restaurant, formerly Isabella's, just five days before on August 6, after months of renovation and redecoration.

Nimzy called it “just another setback.”

Soot from the fire has damaged the walls and many of the old photos, prints, posters, and Nimzy's collections of old telephones and other vintage memorabilia. Everything has to be removed from the building,  he said, and then the walls have to be repainted and the carpeting replaced. The work will start next Tuesday and will take six weeks or more to complete. Nimzy estimates the damage at $150,000.

Changes in Latitudes concert will benefit the Hubbard Emergency Room fundraising campaign. Indian Ranch has teamed up with Harrington Healthcare at Hubbard for a special promotion to benefit the Emergency Department Capital Campaign. The purchase of a $15 ticket for the concert will result in a $20 contribution to the Capital Campaign. Indian Ranch will contribute $10 from each ticket, which will be matched by an anonymous donor. Join the Jimmy Buffet tribute show and beach party on Sunday, September 2, at 2 p.m. For tickets, go to www.indianranch.com.

A giant metal rooster sculpture is on display for the summer outside of Booklovers' Gourmet (seen in photo) on 55 East Main Street in Webster courtesy of Sean Harrington, professional sculptor and art teacher at Bartlett High School. Not only is it an eye-catching piece of art, it also functions as a grill. It has definitely attracted attention on the road and walkers passing by who even snap a photo or two. Sean also has work on display at Tower Hill Botanical Gardens in West Boylston and you can see more on his website www.seanjharrington.com. Booklovers' Gourmet will offer a free beverage of choice to the first person who comes up with a catchy name for him. Just stop in with your suggestions during regular business hours.

Hometown Bank will offer a first-time home buyer seminar on September 5, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. In its Oxford Branch conference room. This free workshop will answer such questions as “Am I financially prepared” and “What are the steps for buying a home”?  The bank will also offer First- time Home Buyer Certification classes on September 17, 19 and 24, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. These classes will help you learn what to look for in your first home-buying team and receive the certification required by many first-time home buyer programs. Fee for this course is $45.Pre-register with Pam Moshier at 978-630-6791 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Both classes will be presented by the RCAP Solutions Housing Consumer Education Center.

The Oxford Lions Club is looking for vendors for its Annual Fall Festival on Saturday, September 22. To rent a booth, contact Joe or Connie Tagg at 508-987-5987.

Did You Know?
Local business happenings

Ed Kinsley stopped by this week to tell us he is now the official owner of the Mohegan Bowl-A-Drome; the closing on the property occurred last week. The transaction had been on hold for several months for various reasons, including a delay in the transfer of the liquor license.

He's glad it's done. “I'm relieved,” said Mr. Kinsley, and he is now in high gear getting the planned renovations done. To expedite the construction, the bowling alley will be closed for a month, scheduled to reopen on August 31-- in time for fall league play.

This week contractors start rebuilding all the pinsetters, replacing the ceiling, installing new drywall, and updating the sprinkler system. The lanes will be resurfaced, and three rooms will be added for birthday parties. A major draw for a new generation of bowlers will be a cosmic bowling entertainment system.

On the restaurant side, Mr. Kinsley plans to take down the wall between the bar and restaurant, making it one big room. The restaurant will be renovated as well, and he expects it to be open in early November. It will offer pub-style food, burgers, and pizza.

Everything is falling into place, said Mr. Kinsley. He has licenses for live entertainment, karaoke and DJs, pool tables and arcade games, as well as a full liquor license.

The Mohegan Bowl-A-Drome features candle pin bowling, which is popular in New England. In fact, this is the only place it's popular. The rest of the country has ten-pin bowling. Could be because candle pin bowling was invented in Worcester County. Thanks, Mr. Kinsley; we didn't know that.

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