New antique and gift shop in Chester; new restaurant coming to Weston

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Matilda and Three Bears

Matilda and Three Bears, an antique and gift shop located at 26 Common St. in Chester, will hold a grand opening at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 1

Owners David Schumann and Julian Sottovia say the business has been two years in the making and will offer a “great collection of items from antique clocks and pocket watches to Roseville pottery, Victorian items to mid-century.” They add that they are hoping to carry Vermont-made products and Vermont- and specifically Chester-related souvenirs in the future.

The shop will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Monday. For more information, you can contact them at 802-875-6041.

Leyla’s planned for Weston

The Orton family, owners of The Vermont Country Store, are partnering with the owners of Manchester’s Depot 62 Cafe to open a new restaurant in the former Bryant House restaurant next door to their store in Weston called Leyla’s, according to a press release.

“We have always been honored to serve our customers lunch in Weston, whether it was a lunch counter in the back of the store in the 1940s, our beloved Bryant House restaurant that we opened in the early 1950s or, most recently, Mildred’s Grill, named for our late grandmother, Mildred Ellen Orton,” said Eliot Orton in the press release. Leyla’s will carry on this tradition with a new wood-fired oven as the central focus in the historic building, which still houses a vintage mahogany bar, eating rooms and seasonal dairy bar, according to the press release.

Depot 62, owned by Leyla Eroglu and Alp Basdogan, specializes in Mediterranean cuisine including wood-fired pizzas, which they had to cut back on due to staff changes.   Leyla’s, Orton said,  will be serving this “legendary pizza, salads, and ultimately many more options as the business evolves.”

The Chester Telegraph emailed and called the Ann Warrell, the VCS Community Relations & Communications manager, for information on when the restaurant was targeted for opening. As of publication time, it had not received a call back.

UPDATE: 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 30: Warrell wrote, “Leyla Eroglu and Alp Basdogan are aiming to open later in August. People can follow The Vermont Country Store on social media (Instagram and Facebook) for updates on the restaurant.”