New Businesses Springing Up Around Montclair

After weeks of writing about the closings of Montclair businesses such as , it's nice to report on an infusion of new faces in the township's commercial centers.

One new face is Let’s YO Yogurt at 31 Valley Road (the former ColorStoryHome space), which boasts more than 50 varieties of fresh, puréed yogurt derived from a Midwest dairy farmer.

(And this just in: A new Frozen Yogurt shop is going into the former Sugee location in Watchung Plaza!)

Customers can select from an array of healthy toppings, including a fun, colorful assortment of toppings geared towards kids—which features dominant brands such as Kashi and Bear Naked—as well as a wide selection of fresh fruit such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and bananas.

In addition, a coffee station featuring a specialty coffee brewer designed specifically for the Let’s YO chain also helps customers kick start their day as it offers cappuccinos, lattes, café mochas, dark brews, light brews and decaf coffee options.

The business opened just this week and will be open daily.

Another new face—at least in Upper Montclair—is Piazza Della Sole, which moved from Watchung Plaza to 620 Valley Road and celebrated its grand opening on March 1.

Owner Judy Typaldos said she's planned several special events this month to mark the occasion.

For example, on Thursday, March 29, the store will host a Stella & Dot jewelry trunk show.

"We will invite women to come in wearing an outfit they would like 'styled' with the jewelry and our shoes and handbags," Typaldos said. "We will have a stylist assisting in that. There will be a raffle of a jewelry item."

Then, on Friday, March 30, the store will host a wine tasting, with appetizers, and a jewelry trunk show by Mary Marino. On March 31, a day Typaldos has dubbed "Sweet Saturday," Piazza Della Sole will have homemade chocolates and other sweets on hand.

To check out the shop's fabulous range of shoes and handbags go to the store's Facebook page here.

Meanwhile, across town on Church Street, Cupcakes by Carousel, which already has locations in Ridgewood and Englewood, will soon be adding its third cupcake shop at 25 Church Street.

The grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony have been scheduled for Saturday, March 31 but the soft opening took place on Thursday, March 8.

Later this month, the shop will be participating in The Great Purple Cupcake Project designed to raise awareness about epilepsy. Special purple cupcakes will be sold the week of March 22 with 10 percent of sales donated to the Anita Kaufmann Foundation, which works to educate the public about epilepsy.

Luther Flurry, the head of the Montclair Center Business Improvement District, cited other new businesses including Mancini's Coal Oven Pizza at 438 Bloomfield Ave. 

Do you know of any other new businesses that have opened or that plan to open soon? Let us know in the comments section below or by emailing Shelley@patch.com.