Business Watch: New Fro-Yo/Creperie; Hudson Harbor Edition of Chappaqua's Kittle House

I am an eager follower of the comings and goings of local businesses, as are Patch readers. Alright, more like obsessed.

Shops on Main Street keep me especially busy as they don't stay shuttered for long:

• The for-rent sign is already down at the  (any leads?).

• Fancy meats are coming to the soon.

Off the path on Central Avenue, our newly opened seems to be generating its own eager following. Jos Niforos has done marvels with the tiny space (once a taxi stand, a locksmith, a junkshop, a real estate agency) the landlord gods gave him, serenely white with curly bamboo shoots and soothing music. A non-cluttered assortment of quality new and used items includes a Red Flyer wagon full of $2 literary treats and the requisite on-Sleepy-Hollow section.

Niforos plans to expand the collection with more kids' books this summer (especially all the Caldecott winners; Maurice Sendak anyone?), more stationery, more sale items. So far, he said he's acclimating well to the “really lovely people.”

Then there's Broadway, which seems to have a harder time:

• Numerous storefronts remain vacant in the stretch of shops between Main and Carpet One. I'd do a  feature on them but there are so many!

• Though I did note the lack, finally, of the for-lease sign at the former . Could there be a taker on $35,000/month rent?

One store seems to keep offering up different versions of itself:

First there was Baskin Robbins, then for a very short time. Now, coming soon: Yogurt le Crepe! It's self-serve frozen yogurt, which exists not so many stores down the way, but...

This time it's different, said affable owner Salvatore (“Sal”) Fragale, who just happened to be uninstalling the Freeze's light fixture and dragging it out of the store when I was walking by. Brain Freeze left all their stuff behind (did they flee?) but Fragale's not interested. He has a different vision for his shop, including booths and a window counter with installed iPads for the kiddies to play games on. That's generous!

Yes, there's yogurt and a toppings bar, but Fragale will be offering made-to-order crepes as well. At first they will be sweet (bananas and Nutella; Dulche de Leche with sliced apples) with savory options to come later.

Folks can lounge around on about 15 seats and sip espressos and cappuccinos in an atmosphere urging you to “hang out,” he said. “It will be like night and day [from the former space]."

Fragale doesn't hold any delusions about the simple life of a small business owner as he grew up in "the biz." He's been in the deli business for ten years; his family has had restaurants, and most recently ice cream shops (two Uncle Louie G's, one in Eastchester and one in Yonkers). But this is the first frozen yogurt in the family. “Healthier,” he said.

He hopes to open the doors – and keep them open! – by early July.

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In other news on the other side of the village, Chappaqua's historical gem (and constant Patch Readers' Choice winner), , will be opening a second location here in the Hudson Harbor development. They are moving into the so-called Stonehouse (the big building behind ). Timeline TBD, but rumor has it they are hiring.

I have not yet been able to reach Kittle House owner Mr. Crabtree, whose family has owned the place since the early 1980s, for comment. But the Marketing VP for Hudson Harbor, Paul Janos, did confirm that this classy joint is indeed on its way. 

Entering a shiny new construction (albeit with rustic old-timey character) might be quite a change for the 200-plus year-old establishment that's been everything through the years from roadhouse to schoolhouse. Here they have a "have a great concept" of doing not only a restaurant but a wine store and food market, said Janos, who was finalizing details with the Kittle House folks this week.

Here's to hoping the menu will remain at least similar.

Here's a tantalizing sample of the food from their current dinner menu:

Trap Caught Rhode Island Black Sea Bass, spring vegetable ragoût, catskill fingerlings, kaffir lime, red pepper emulsion

Or:

Cervena Venison Loin, brussels sprouts, butternut squash, applewood smoked bacon hash, quince compote, cranberry oil

And that's before we even begin to explore the award-winning wine cellar.