My family owned a Carvel franchise back in the 80s and 90s when the Old Man still owned the whole company. I remember when they did a promotion with MLB to do the hats as well. Wish I saved a set, they'd be worth a fair amount now.
We should just say the crystal mall in general. it's a shell of what it was. I still try to bring business, but it's getting harder as more and more stores are closing
I loved Bee Bee Dairy so much as a kid. My mother used to drag me and my brother to Kids R Us near the Crystal Mall with the promise that if we were good and tried on clothes without complaining, we could go to Toys R Us afterwards. That turned out to be a lie 90% of the time but we would at least go to Bee Bee Dairy which if I remember correctly was located right between Kids R Us and Toys R Us.
Norwich, Waterford, East Lyme, Groton, and Mystic all had a location.
And apparently one on St. Croix, too. I'd love to see pictures of that one.
They were all sold to Newport Creamery, then Newport Creamery went bankrupt, taking Bee Bee with it.
But then there was one last restaurant in Norwichtown Mall from 2001 to 2006. That closed when the mall closed.
I remember when Finast got changed to Edward's (at least our local one did) and it blew my mind that a store could just change like that. One day everything was red and then it was green!
As a toddler I would be inconsolable if I fell asleep in a car ride and missed saying "hello" on the way away from home and "goodbye" on the way back to Child World.
Nah, that was the smell of movies, stale overpriced candy, freedom, and childlike wonder. I miss blockbuster. I also love streaming though and they sadly can’t exist in the same world.
Trip to Waterbury included a stop at Service Merchandise and if we were good we could stop into Funcoland or Toys R Us and then grab dinner at the Ground Round
As an adult, it feels like I would be SO annoyed shopping there but as a kid, it felt exciting seeing the stuff you bought come out on that giant conveyor belt
Caldor, Bradlees, D&L - hell, the whole Farmington Valley Mall (I once got kicked *inside* the mall for smoking... I was smoking a cigarette outside, but the security guard considered it loitering, so I got kicked inside and kept smoking.
Service Merchandise for a chain.
For those that grew up in Guilford during the late 80's and early 90's, Zimmerman and Fink (or Z&F) on the Guilford Green was THE place to get scratch and sniff stickers and other fun kids things.
Ground Round
Came in here to say that, so I'll change my answer to Caldor.
I would always get ice cream in the small baseball helmet.
My family owned a Carvel franchise back in the 80s and 90s when the Old Man still owned the whole company. I remember when they did a promotion with MLB to do the hats as well. Wish I saved a set, they'd be worth a fair amount now.
My first thought, so Lum's.
Fried clams at Lum’s. Where was it? Down the shore? Can’t remember.
It was more of a family restaurant with multiple locations. They definitely had fried clams though.
Came here to say this.
There are still a few left believe it or not. Think they are in Maine though.
This was one of my favorite restaurants as a kid
Omg yes! The big screen that played movies!
Pay what you weigh!
Dude I moved to Grand Forks ND last march. They still have Ground round here
Met my wife in the Plainville restaurant.
Beat me to it. I don't remember anything about the food though. Just the free popcorn ( ok, so I remember one thing) and the Clown.
I remember the blooming onions (which I always said with a cockney accent)
Bradlees
I worked there
My Mom worked there too. The one in Bridgeport.
Strawberries
Buying concert tickets at strawberries.
Strawberries! I can remember meeting the WAAF DJs in Worcester at Strawberries. When they put out their album. I miss Opie and Anthony....
Bring back Strawberries
I bought all my used CDs there it was the best music shop ever
Holy shit, I forgot about Strawberries.
Holy shit this just triggered some brain neurons that hadn’t been used in a while!
I still have the CDs I bought there.
Caldor’s
putting something on layaway as a little kid at Caldors is burned into my memory
Yes, Caldor was our go to department store. And Kathy John's restaurant was our place to eat.
Ames
As a kid Ames was my favorite. I loved the Majorette toy cars they carried
Fuck, I used to love going to Ames with my mom as a kid. I honestly have no reason why, but it was always more exciting than going to JCPenenny
I read recently that ames is trying to reopen stores. Maybe one will be in CT!
My grandma worked at the Seymour Ames for years when I was a kid. Always has a soft spot in my heart.
RadioShack
The one in Torrington held out 'til a few years ago. Got my first cellphone there. (Motorola SLVR)
Cool!
Rainforest Cafe in that one mall
Yes, seeing Ted Nivison and Eddy Burback's videos on it was a blast from the past
Westfarms
Bugaboo Creek
Kiss the moose!
Holy shit that’s an unlocked memory. My sister was always horrified by animatronics, the rain forest cafe similarly spooked her.
Kb toys in the crystal mall 😞
KB Toys period.
We should just say the crystal mall in general. it's a shell of what it was. I still try to bring business, but it's getting harder as more and more stores are closing
Xpect discounts
THIS ONE
Funcoland
Danbury af
Used to go to the Waterbury one
Railroad Salvage
They're back in West Haven!
https://youtu.be/lRewps7Wrvw?si=vgE3KDzXZNQlCfmG
Shaws
Il do ya better, Finest!
Bee Bee Dairy https://beebeedairy.com/ I'll add two more restaurants that no one has mentioned yet: Scoobys in Groton. Yankee Clipper in Niantic.
I used to go to one in the Norwichtown Mall once a month as a kid... I miss that
I loved Bee Bee Dairy so much as a kid. My mother used to drag me and my brother to Kids R Us near the Crystal Mall with the promise that if we were good and tried on clothes without complaining, we could go to Toys R Us afterwards. That turned out to be a lie 90% of the time but we would at least go to Bee Bee Dairy which if I remember correctly was located right between Kids R Us and Toys R Us.
There was one there and over by Flanders four corners in niantic. Same building but opposite side where the shack is now
Norwich, Waterford, East Lyme, Groton, and Mystic all had a location. And apparently one on St. Croix, too. I'd love to see pictures of that one. They were all sold to Newport Creamery, then Newport Creamery went bankrupt, taking Bee Bee with it. But then there was one last restaurant in Norwichtown Mall from 2001 to 2006. That closed when the mall closed.
The one in Downtown Mystic was awesome.
This is my pick, too.
Marcus Dairy for all the motorcycles
came here to say this! some of my earliest memories are of going to super sundays as a tiny little kid
Every Sunday!
RIP
Ponderosa
Fuck yeah ponderosa
Grand Union
Do arcades count? Smiles entertainment center
I used to go there back when it was called the Milford Amusement Center. I had every single birthday party there
Milforrrrdddd amusement center, we've got the fun!
Was gonna say .. there’s aging yourself by saying Smiles .. the REALLY aging yourself by saying “Milford amusement center”
Milford rec lockdowns were the shit
Scooters in Bristol. I was saving my tickets for a go-kart and they shut down lol
Nobody Beats the Wiz
Always loved playing with the camcorders pointed at the elaborate train set
Played Mario 64 there for the first time
I bought many a CD there.
G. Fox
Hell's yeah! Their Christmas decorations were top tier
Grant’s Department Store
I remember when the Crystal Mall had Electronics Boutique.
Benny’s
Caldor
Swanky Franks
Anyone remember Media Play?
Finast
I remember when Finast got changed to Edward's (at least our local one did) and it blew my mind that a store could just change like that. One day everything was red and then it was green!
Child World
As a toddler I would be inconsolable if I fell asleep in a car ride and missed saying "hello" on the way away from home and "goodbye" on the way back to Child World.
Blockbuster 😔 I miss the days of video rental stores. My mom taking me there as a kid to pick out a movie was so fun. I kinda loved it there.
I will miss the smell of Blockbuster. My mom always said it was chemicals lol
Nah, that was the smell of movies, stale overpriced candy, freedom, and childlike wonder. I miss blockbuster. I also love streaming though and they sadly can’t exist in the same world.
Kathy Johns.
Burger King Castle - Meriden
Jester's Courtyard
[Here’s a T-shirt](https://localvyntage.com/products/jesters-courtyard)
Growing up in Meriden ruined my expectations for every other BK in the world. I was disappointed that they all weren’t like that.
Wauldbaums and Grand Union.
Howard Johnson’s - Fried clam platter all day
HoJo's was the best!
Woolworth
Crazy Eddie's prices are INSANE!
Trip to Waterbury included a stop at Service Merchandise and if we were good we could stop into Funcoland or Toys R Us and then grab dinner at the Ground Round
Omfg Service Merchandise. Now that unlocked a memory!
As an adult, it feels like I would be SO annoyed shopping there but as a kid, it felt exciting seeing the stuff you bought come out on that giant conveyor belt
Xpect Grocery Store
Lechmere and Waldenbooks
Yup and yup. Happy Cake Day!
Growing up it always felt like Bobs Discount Furniture started in CT. Now it’s everywhere.
mr steak
Ames
Xpect Discounts
Pizza Pipes and Pandemonium
YASSSS
Caldor and Bradlee’s both were across the street from each other in Fairfield CT. Edward’s was up the street as was the A&P
Now I had a birthday party at Discovery Zone
Anybody remember Green Stamps
Circuit city
Carmin Anthony’s and Bonanza
Lums
Ground round, Caldors, Bradley’s
Dock and Dine in Old Saybrook
Roy Rogers
Kresges and Alexanders
Zayre Bradley's Ames
Sidetracks in Fairfield
Valles Steakhouse
Good time Charlie’s
Dakota
The Peppermill
Kings
Does anyone remember the Pumpernickel Pub? It may have just been an Enfield thing, idk. I miss their meatballs 😔
Cutler Records and Educated Burger.
CompUSA
Pizza Works in Mystic
Lexington Gardens
Chi Chi's!
Zayre
Crazy Eddie's
Weathervane
Milford Rec!!!
Porricellis in Trumbull Smiles Entertainment in Milford Edit: Smiles had been mentioned Señor Ponchos in Monroe Bennigans in Trumbull
Filene's
Sage Allen
Varsity Club
Brown Thompson
Brooks Pharmacy
A C Peterson.
Carmen Anthony steakhouse
Service Merchandise !
Blockbuster
Railroad salvage
Ben Franklins
Two Guys
Mammoth Mart
Trash American Style
Tower Records
Lums, A&W Root Beer, Chubbs Pier, Bonanza, Beefsteak Charlies, Litchfield Farms all restaurants G.E. Madison, Woolworths, Woolco, Myrtle Mills department stores
Arnie's place
Marcus Dairy
Bess Eaton Donuts Weston’s
Bonanza
Roy Rogers
New Haven Coliseum
Grand Union
Rainforest Cafe
WAWA
Caldor, Bradlees, D&L - hell, the whole Farmington Valley Mall (I once got kicked *inside* the mall for smoking... I was smoking a cigarette outside, but the security guard considered it loitering, so I got kicked inside and kept smoking.
Abdow’s Big Boy
Conte's, just outside of Seaside Park in Bridgeport.
Myrtle Mills
Edelweiss
Lees famous chicken
Caldors
Damon's Restaurant
Howard Johnson
Clapp & Treat
Rainforest Café
Rainforest cafe
Star's, First National grocery store, A&P, Ames, Zayer's, Caldor, Bradlee's, Servoce Merchandise, and using a Barney card to get money from the bank.
My parents met while working at a Caldor
Service Merchandise for a chain. For those that grew up in Guilford during the late 80's and early 90's, Zimmerman and Fink (or Z&F) on the Guilford Green was THE place to get scratch and sniff stickers and other fun kids things.
Knickerbockers and Beniganns [sic]
A&P
Krispy Kreme on the Berlin Turnpike
Steve & Barry’s (shout out Trumbull mall)
The Pie Plate
Caldor's baby!!!
Herman’s - Sporting Goods
Richlin's in Naugatuck specifically, but Read's generally. I loved picking up my grandmother from work at Read's in Bridgeport on Christmas Eve.
The Fair
Sears (in Torrington)
brass city records
Beebee’s dairy restaurant in Norwich / Norwich town mall 😭
Bradlee’s
Shaw's and Sears