2 National chains are coming our way “tex-mex” barBurrito I hear will be opening a location in Bayers Lake. While healthy eating focused The Chopped Leaf will be opening locations in both Bayers Lake and Dartmouth Crossing

The Last Game Store in Clayton Park is getting to final level and will be closing the shop at the end of September

GBS Technologies (Telus) closed their store on Spring Garden (at Queen). Their other locations remain open.

The location on Gottingen Street remains open but The Nook in Bedford has closed its door.

2 Chefs Schnitzel Bistro on King St Downtown Dartmouth has closed, but I hear another restaurant is lined up to replace it

The Home Outfitters (then essentially an HBC clearance centre) in Dartmouth Crossing finally closed last week

Originally opened in Truro then moved to Bedford Highway for a few years before closing in October, Cafe l’Acadie has resurfaced again with their Acadian dishes at 8369 Peggys Cove Rd in Indian Harbour

Follow up on L.L Bean last week, still no word if we will get a full store as that is a 10 year expansion plan. but ~400 square-foot department is opening within Hudson’s Bay , Mic Mac Mall location in four to six weeks.

By the end of January, Sobeys is phasing out plastic grocery bags, at all its stores.

I hear Quinpool’s Truly Tasty is on the move later this year early next year … but not far. Just next door in the longtime home of The Trail Shop

Urban Rustic DIY is soon to open at 534 Sackville Dr., near the corner of Leaside Drive in Lower Sackville.

As it says on its website, “Urban Rustic is a DIY studio that offers hands-on classes for creating custom-made home decor projects from raw materials. You can join an instructor-led workshop to make any of our great home decor projects like rustic wood signs, wooden trays and growth charts. Have a fun, social night out while creating a beautiful decor project.”

I chatted with owner-operator Bruce MacDonald, who co-owns the business with his wife, Laurie.

“This business idea evolved from our existing seasonal gift and decor stores,” MacDonald said.

They also own Home Comforts, which pops up every Christmas season in Mic Mac Mall and Halifax Shopping Centre.

“The past two years my wife, Laurie, and I have been creating many items we sold in our store after not being able to find the product we wanted from local or Canadian wholesalers. A studio where we taught the process of making wooden signs seemed to be the next logical step for us.

When asked about why they chose Lower Sackville, MacDonald said, “There seems to be a great sense of community, and the Sackville Strip is definitely full of many thriving local businesses. Another concern for us was having ample parking for our workshop attendees. Our classes accommodate 30-40 people, so having available parking in a well-lit, safe environment was another key factor in our decision.”

They will have “pick any project” events Thursday-through-Sunday evenings and Saturday afternoons. More family-friendly events will be scheduled on Sunday afternoons. They are also open to private bookings for celebrations and team building.

“Future plans include expanding our project offerings, both in existing project types and adding new classes like blanket weaving and custom canvas totes and pillows,” MacDonald said.

They will be celebrating with a grand opening the afternoon of Sunday, Aug. 11, with mini projects, snacks, refreshments and promotional codes for future classes. Plus, it’s a great chance to come and check out the studio.

The Coast has their finalists out for the 2019 Best of Halifax awards thanks to all that nominated me. I’m a finalist for Blogger, Instagram and Twitter

See all the finalists at https://bestofhalifax.com