Fill The Spot: 419 Bank Street

From fire to consolidation, a number of eateries have tried their luck at this New London location and faded away.

The bright blue paint job has been replaced with a white one, although a blue awning with the name of the last business to occupy the space gives some color. An umbrella lies abandoned in the patio space behind a swinging wooden gate.

The use of the address to sell foodstuffs goes back at least as far as 1893, when a newspaper column references the confectionary shop Pequot Candy Kitchen. After that, the space was used for retail. In 1947, it was a shoe repair store; in 1973, a tool sharpening business.

Rondee's Country Cafe opened at the site in 1981, but the ignition of gasoline stored on an upper floor destroyed the upper two stories and devastated the business. The Post Road Cafe gave way to Candy's Cozy Kitchen, which was replaced by Tio Rodrigo's Mexican Grill, which converted to The Pub before the owner consolidated the menu with that of Hot Rod Cafe.

The building is located adjacent to New London Harbour Towers as well as Gaspar's Restaurant. What would work well here? Let us know in the comments.

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