Last week I mentioned that Scanway had closed their Grafton Street cafe, this week I can tell you that Brawta Jamaican Jerk Joint will be taking its place. The restaurant will be serving up Jamaican cuisine are hoping to open around August 20.

Construction has begun on a new Shell gas station with a Tim Hortons in Musquodoboit Harbour.

G-Street Pizza has opened on Gottingen Street, filling out the commercial space in the new development The Velo. The gourmet pizza shop has plenty of options including gluten free and have a vegan pizza called the Meat Haters

Local chain Mezza continues to grow with the opening of their newest location at 349 Herring Cove Rd. in Spryfield.

The Lot BBQ opened this week in The Forum parking lot (Young St) they have started with sausages, dogs and burgers, but the menu will ramp up their offering slow cooked items in smokers.

Giant Tiger has opened it’s latest store , this time at 201 Chain Lake Dr. in Halifax, they take over part of the space emptied last year by the departure of Home Outfitters.

Not sure if they are down for good but Iron Rooster on Barrington Street has been closed for over week now and a peep in the windows looks like some decor had been removed. They received a provincial government closure order on July 18. They had also received a closure order in February for multiple infractions.

A reminder you can always look up the latest food safety reports on the Government of Nova Scotia website: https://novascotia.ca/agri/foodsafety/reports/Request.aspx

The Hut Dog, a tiny 32-square-foot shop in Windsor, is essentially an enclosed hot dog cart in the style of those one would find in New York City.

The inspiration for the bright green shed found at 1771 King St. came to owner Natasha Farrell naturally, through experience. Born in Windsor, she moved to New Jersey as an adult where she met her husband. Eventually she brought him back to Hants County.

“He’s often talked about having a cart and missed eating at one,” says Farrell. “So, we are based on New York City cart style, but with local ingredients. We have the same variety of toppings they usually offer there, including brown mustard and barbecued onions, among others.” It took time to choose the right locally-sourced dog and are toasting the hot dogs because it “gives them the best snappy skin.” “The Hut is a family-owned-and-run business. Our teens were eager to help out. So, you’ll often see myself or them doing the cooking and serving. We live and have a large extended family in the Windsor area … where we feel connected. And we love having the privilege of living and also working here, close to home,“ added Farrell. The hut also has simple pricing — $3 for a dog, $1 for more premium toppings like cheese, chili and bacon. They will soon be adding a sausage and a veggie dog, and also have lettuce wraps or gluten free buns as options.

L.L. Bean is opening their first Canadian store in Oakville, ON next month. However they say they plan 20 stand alone stores coast to coast in next 10 years. As well L.L. Bean will be rolling out small store in stores inside 57 of 88 Hudson Bay locations this year. No exact details for anything HRM