By Gretchen Webster

WESTPORT — It’s difficult to predict when a new restaurant or store will open because construction delays or other factors often disrupt plans. But it’s likely that several new enterprises will be added to downtown’s commercial roster in the first few months of the new year.

Outside the central business district, perhaps the largest new business expected to open locally in 2025 is the Delamar Westport hotel, rising on the site of the former Westport Inn at 1595 Post Road East not far from the Fairfield border.

Downtown, the second-hand clothing retailer, 2nd Street, will be stocked with vintage and trendy pre-worn clothing at 17 Main St., scheduled to open by the end of January. The store is located in space formerly occupied by the Loft clothing store. 

Not only will 2nd Street customers be able to purchase used merchandise, they can also sell clothes, bags, shoes and other accessories to the business. The national retailer has about 50 stores in the U.S.

At 61 Main St., Swarovski, a business known for its crystal jewelry and accessories, has announced the opening of a Westport store early this year. The business, founded by an Austrian crystal maker in 1895, is known worldwide for precision-cut crystals that accent a range of wearable merchandise and decorations.

Near the end of the Main Street commercial district, the iconic building at No. 177, once the home of the Remarkable Bookstore, is being remodeled into the Eleish Van Breems store selling Scandinavian furniture and antiques. Owners Rhonda Eleish and Edith Van Breems plan to move their store from 99 Franklin St. in Saugatuck to the Main Street site, which has been under construction for more than a year. Their Saugatuck store will become a trade showroom. 

While some vacant Main Street stores have recently been occupied, others are available after former tenants went out of business in 2024, including the large retail space previously occupied by the home furnishing store Oka that closed in June, and Mexicue restaurant which closed three weeks ago. Both closed for financial reasons, with Britain-based Oka shuttering all stores in the U.S. after filing for bankruptcy.

Around the corner, above the vacant Oka space, the Japanese restaurant Sushi Jin is expected to open in mid- to late January at 44 Main St. The restaurant can be reached from Elm Street or by walking up the Bedford Square steps from Church Lane.

The Van Leeuwen Ice Cream chain is displaying a “Coming Soon” sign at its “scoop shop” planned at 31 Church Lane. The company has over 50 locations across the country. Westport will be the company’s fourth location in Connecticut, in addition to shops in Darien, New Canaan and Greenwich. The brand is also available in some grocery stores, giving ice cream lovers a chance to sample Van Leeuwen flavors before the shop opens.

Two other new food establishments will also be opening soon on the Post Road.

Just Salad, 275 Post Road East in Playhouse Square, has more than 70 restaurants in the U.S. offering salads, wraps and smoothies. The business already has restaurants in neighboring Fairfield and Norwalk. The Westport restaurant is slated to open in January.

Lyfe Café, 793 Post Road East, which will serve breakfast and lunch, is a branch of Pizza Lyfe, 833 Post Road East, which opened two years ago. Lyfe Café, just a hop away from the pizza restaurant, will offer baked goods, sandwiches, coffee and smoothies. The opening has been delayed over the past few months, but is now planned in January.

Freelance writer Gretchen Webster, a Fairfield County journalist for many years, was editor of the Fairfield Minuteman and has taught journalism at New York and Southern Connecticut State universities.