Demolition Begins On Former Restaurant Building In Enfield

ENFIELD, CT — Demolition of an Enfield Commons building used as a restaurant for nearly 25 years began Monday morning, with a new structure accommodating three businesses set to be built in its place.

The building at 39 Hazard Ave. last housed Plaza Azteca, a Mexican chain restaurant which opened in 2014 and closed in late May 2018.

In August, the Enfield Planning and Zoning Commission approved an application calling for a new building which will house Jersey Mike's Subs, Starbucks Coffee and an unknown third tenant. The property will contain a drive-up window and two outdoor seating areas.

Starbucks has two shops in Enfield — one at 103 Elm Street and another at 9 Hazard Ave. adjacent to Subway in the former New England Bank & Trust building. That location has been "temporarily" closed for months, and a phone call Monday morning from Patch ended with a recording saying the number is no longer in service.

Jersey Mike's is a sandwich chain headquartered in Manasquan, New Jersey. Its locations are franchised, and the husband-wife team opening the Enfield shop, Ken Schanke and Audrey Poynton, also the Jersey Mike's in Manchester. Poynton also owns The Eclectic Peacock, a clothing and home goods boutique on Route 5 in Enfield.

The new Enfield building is set to be completed by June, Poynton told Patch.

"We're super excited, this store is going to have outdoor seating," she said.

According to Enfield land records, the property in the southwest section of the Enfield Commons shopping center, between Olive Garden and Aspen Dental, opened in 1994. It housed a Red Lobster, owned by General Mills, then was home to Woody's Brick Oven Pizzeria until 2003, when the Hazard Grille opened.

The Hazard Grille was the longest-tenured business at the site, closing in April 2013 after nearly 10 years. Plaza Azteca opened the following year.

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