Two stores to open this summer

KENT — Two new eateries will open this summer, taking the place of businesses that shut down last year. John Cummins of Kent and Sharon resident Carol Hawran plan to open the Millstone Cafe in the former home of The Blu Grill; and the Millstone Bakery in what used to be Stroble’s.

Cummins operated a catering business in New York City for 16 years, and officially made the move to Kent in March, after six years of coming up as a weekender.

Hawran has lived in Sharon for 20 years and was an instructor at the Culinary Institute of America for 11 years.

“Why Kent? We both thought very long and very carefully about the best place to open a cafe and bakery,� Cummins said. “Kent is one of the few places that has enough destination desirability. It’s a town where you could come in for a half a day or a whole day and have a wide selection of activities to choose from, including boutique shopping, gallery hunting, going to Kent Falls, going to the state park.�

The Millstone Cafe, at 14 N. Main St., is expected to open in early July.

“The cafe is going to offer lunch and dinner five days a week, from Wednesday to Sunday,� Cummins said. “We like to say that the cafe will celebrate honest food and thoughtful cooking. The foundation of our menu is clean food and familiar dishes.

“We will have a strong emphasis on regional and local fresh ingredients whenever possible.�

The building had been vacant since December, when The Blu Grill shut down, quietly and quickly.

Next door to the grill will be the Millstone Bakery, which is expected to open in August in the former longtime location of Stroble’s Bakery.

“It will be a full-production bakery and will sell bread, pastries, individual-sized desserts of all kinds, special occasion cakes, and all manner of cookies, pies and tarts,� Cummins said.

“We will be offering the same sort of rotational seasonal menu choices both in the cafe and in the bakery. The bakery will also be offering top-of-the-line espresso drinks and cappuccinos.�

A pass-through to connect the two buildings is under construction now, he added.

Stroble’s Bakery, which was formerly owned by Patsy Stroble, was purchased in 2007 by Ben Mauldin. It shut down in May 2009.

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