THE STAMFORD ADVOCATE
August 22, 2006

Not Going Hungry in Stamford

By Peter Healy
Staff Writer

Downtown Stamford has 75 restaurants, according to the latest count by the Downtown Special Services District. Get ready for three more.

A banner at 245 Main St. says a Quiznos Subs shop is opening there soon. A sign next door at 249 Main St. says Market, a restaurant to be operated by the owners of Match Restaurant in South Norwalk, is slated to go there.

The third new eatery will be a Tuscan steakhouse, called Ferante. It is scheduled to open in November at the site of the former Zhangi restaurant at 201 Summer St. Lenny Lorando, who will manage Ferante, said he will disclose more details closer to its opening.

"We are delighted that three excellent restaurants have chosen the downtown as their home for the future," said Sandra Goldstein, executive director of the DSSD.

"These are fun restaurants. They really have pizzazz," Goldstein said. "They will attract the attention of new patrons for the region. The fact that the owners of Match chose Stamford for their second location says something about the vitality of the downtown."

Market will serve new American cuisine and feature an open kitchen, a private dining room and a cast-iron, wood-burning oven, said Scott Beck, a partner in Match with executive chef Matt Storch. He expects it to open in late winter or early spring.

The 3,600-square-foot Market space between Black Bear Saloon and the Victory Delicatessen used to house a printing business.

"I love the location. It's right in the middle of everything," Beck said. "It will have an open facade. A lot is going on in Stamford and I am looking forward to being a part of it."

Bruce Beinfield Architects of South Norwalk is designing the renovations for the new Market. It will seat 120 patrons, including seats at the bar, Beck said. Market plans to serve lunch and dinner seven days a week.

Derrick Lee, general manager at Match, will manage Market and be a partner in the business.

Beck said Market's cuisine will be similar to, but not the same as that of Match, which is located at 98 Washington St. in Norwalk's historic SoNo district.

Connecticut Magazine readers voted Match the Best New American Restaurant in Fairfield County this year and last year. Match also won Best Service in the state in a Connecticut Magazine Readers Choice Poll this year. Match opened in 1999.

"Match has been successful in South Norwalk, which is saturated with restaurants," said Steven Matsis, senior managing director of Capital Restaurant Group of Stamford, which handles restaurant sales and leases statewide and is a division of Capital Commercial Group. "If they (Match) have what the public wants, there will be a need for them. A new concept can still do well in any given market."

Penny Wickey of Saugatuck Commercial Real Estate LLC in Westport represented Market and the building owner, the Romano family, in negotiations for Market's lease.

Wickey also represented Quiznos and the Romano family in negotiations for Quiznos' lease of 1,550 square feet at 245 Main St.

Wickey said Quiznos expects to open next month. Its franchisee could not be reached for comment.

The Denver-based Quiznos chain had more than 4,400 restaurants worldwide as of January. Quiznos restaurants in Fairfield County are in Norwalk, Bridgeport, Stratford and Monroe. Quiznos shops serve hot and cold sub sandwiches, soups and salads.