SOUTHINGTON — Paul Gregory’s moved to a new location in the Factory Square business complex this week, more than doubling the bistro and cafe’s dining space and adding a banquet hall.
“We really wanted to start off the new year with a new restaurant,” said Ashley Malloy, who owns the business with her mother, Theresa Malloy. The owners closed the restaurant’s 148 Center St. location on Monday and expected to have the move complete and new location open in the next few days.
The restaurant will be the first tenant to move into the second building at Factory Square, on the eastern side of the property, since Florian Properties purchased the former industrial site and began converting it for commercial and office use. The entrance to the new location will continue to face out toward Center Street, sharing parking with Witchdoctor Brewing Co. and Perkatory Coffee.
Malloy is planning a grand opening in January to coincide with the five year anniversary of her family purchasing the business on Jan. 17, 2017.
As part of the reopening, she’s also overhauling the restaurant’s menu. They’ll still have staples such as their build-you-own-burger, but she wants to take advantage of the increased kitchen space to expand their offerings.
Much of the restaurant’s growth has come from the success of its catering, which Malloy said they will tailor far beyond their menu to match whatever event a customer may be holding.
“It’s just the fact that we go so far out of our comfort zone and customize to what the customer wants,” Malloy said.
Malloy began searching for a new location for the restaurant as wait times for tables began lengthening as its reputation has grown. The new space will have seating for 86 diners, a big jump from the 25 to 30 seats at the original location.
She said they formed a draft lease with the owners of Factory Square around a year ago, but the pandemic put a hold on the move.
“Looking around we looked to see if we should build from the ground up and then we found out this location is open … being historical with all the wood, we really liked the look of everything and we kind of fell in love with the whole aesthetic of the place,” Malloy said.
Florian Properties, the owner of Factory Square, did not return calls for comment.
The former industrial center has been in the process of transforming into commercial and office use ever since it was purchased by Florian Properties in 2015. The larger of the two buildings on the property has seen a host of businesses move in over the past six years, including Hardcore Sweet Bakery in October and Leaps & Bones dog supply store in November.
Southington Economic Development Coordinator Lou Perillo said the restaurant’s creativity and willingness to try new things has played a big part in allowing Paul Gregory’s to thrive over the years. When the pandemic forced many restaurants to close down, Paul Gregory’s pivoted to selling lunches to nearby companies and providing food to bars which were required to serve hot meals to reopen.
“It’s a testament to Paul Gregory’s. They have very good food, they’re very creative in handling Covid,” Perillo said.
The town’s restaurant industry as a whole has been doing well navigating the pandemic, with several other eateries working with Perillo to find new locations in town. The growth of Paul Gregory’s is reflective of how Center Street in particular has been able to turn into a destination for dining.
“The fact that they’re growing bodes well for them, as well as for the town in that area,” he said. “Center Street has garnered quite a bit of attention from nearby towns.”
