Value Village is opening in the former Future Shop in Bedford Commons. I know HomeSense was considering that space , I guess they passed.

Yeah Yeah’s Pizza is opening a second location in HRM this time on Barrington St. across from Stillwell in the former Little Mysteries.

A sign on the door of the Ochterloney St. eatery says Ma Belle’s will return soon.

I had long heard Cineplex was bringing a RecRoom to Dartmouth Crossing

I was semi-right. Cineplex is bringing a Playdium to Dartmouth crossing in 2020 construction in the parking lot of Cabela’s starts this fall for the 30 000 sq.ft facility of games & eats

?Tom’s Little Havana last day March 27? it will be replaced by Sura Lounge to compliment its sister restaurant Rasa.

Colori in Halifax Shopping Centre has closed up, open one day completely taken apart and papered up by the next morning.



The Treats in the Keshen Goodman Library is done, and the library is looking for a new vendor.

The Bell Aliant store in Burnside has closed.

Downtown Dartmouth used book store Brightside Books closes a chapter and have closed up their shop.

?Tang Shun on Larry Uteck has closed but is being replaced by another location of Sushi Jet. ?

The Bike Pedaler has to move from their longtime home at 25 Portland St and has found at new home at 61 Portland St. but it was an unexpected move for them and they have started a crowd funding campaign.

North End fashion spot 11 Street Boutique is moving a couple doors over to the bigger space on the corner of Isleville and Hennesey St

?Gahan but not for long, the waterfront location of Gahan House has now closed. A new pub from the same owners called Pickford & Black will open next month. Gahan House will resurface in a new spot in the Nova Centre this May .

?Like many North Enders as they settle down, they move from Halifax to Dartmouth ??it seems only appropriate a brewery does the same.? North Brewing’s last day is March 30 at their 6 year Agricola home before they make way to 899 Portland (will open as soon as they can)?

A new restaurant with a globally inspired menu but with local ingredients has opened on the corner of Bedford Highway and Larry Uteck Boulevard.

Mabata is a word the founders stumbled upon, it means “a search for something better.” They have dubbed it a “glocal eatery.”

Partners, Najib Faris, originally from Jordan, and Francesco Stara, from Italy, met in Dubai while Faris was working in marketing and Stara was a chef.

Faris who had worked in various marketing and business development roles and eventually immigrated here where he became the director of international marketing with the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration.

Faris was travelling the world selling the idea of immigrating to Nova Scotia when he was in London and ran into Stara. Stara has worked all over the world including under Michelin-star chefs. The two talked and Faris convinced Stara to move to Nova Scotia, which he did in November and now the two have embarked on their business idea together.



They have partnered with New Brunswick’s Acadian Sturgeon and Caviar, the only producers of wild caviar in the world.

Mabata is trying to have caviar as a more normalized item and not just for special occasions and is incorporating small bits of caviar into other dishes, such as their eggs benedict.

The partners want a menu that is elevated but approachable and have chosen to include burgers. For example the chicken burger is marinated in miso for 48 hours and then sous vide, then seared when it’s ready to order.

Mabata also has a selection of sharing plates which they hope customers will want to fill a table with different foods for everyone to dig in. The sturgeon meat also makes its way on the menu in the form of sturgeon fish cakes and smoked sturgeon.

The restaurant offers dinner Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday, Saturday 4:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Brunch is offered Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Canada’s Most Productive Malls by Square Foot 2018 numbers

only one Atlantic is HSC which slipped from 23rd and dropped sales $10/sq.ft

also of note WalMart purchased Woolco 25 years ago last week and started their move into Canada