Southington's Planning and Zoning Commission approved plans Tuesday night to fill the empty site where Plan B Burger Bar once operated near the I-84 westbound exit, clearing the way for CAVA and Panda Express to split the vacant building on Spring Street. The redevelopment would carve the roughly 5,020-square-foot structure into two restaurant spaces without expanding its footprint, and it includes a drive-through with room for a 10-vehicle queue and a bypass lane.
The approval was reported by the Southington Outsider, which covered Tuesday's commission meeting. The building previously housed Plan B Burger Bar, which closed in May 2025, according to the Hartford Business Journal. Branford-based 20 Spring St Associates LLC is listed as both the property owner and applicant, with Michael Massimino named as its principal, per the same account.
Traffic Study Projects Hundreds of New Trips
A traffic study submitted with the application estimated the site would generate an average of 93 trips during weekday evenings, with 160 new trips expected between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturdays, the Southington Outsider reported. That same study did not account for the existing do-not-block area already in place at the nearby Chili's entrance, the outlet noted. Project representatives told the commission they would expect traffic to fall below what a McDonald's or Wendy's drive-through typically generates.
In response to town comments, developers added a bike pad for six bicycles and converted one ADA-accessible parking space to a van-accessible space, according to the Southington Outsider's reporting. Parking counts differ between accounts of the revised plan: the Hartford Business Journal reported the redevelopment would provide 62 spaces against a 42-space town requirement, while Patch reported the plan would leave 58 spaces against the same 42-space requirement.
A First for Panda Express in Connecticut
The Southington location will mark Panda Express's first drive-through in the state, per the Southington Outsider. The nearest existing CAVA restaurant is in Newington, while the next-closest Panda Express is in Milford, the outlet reported. CAVA is a fast-casual chain known for pita wraps, grain bowls, salads and other Mediterranean-inspired dishes served assembly-line style, while Panda Express specializes in American Chinese fare built around dishes like orange chicken, Beijing beef and honey walnut shrimp.
According to the New Britain Herald, the property sold for $325,000 on July 22, 2026, with the roughly 5,018-square-foot building purchased by 20 Spring St Associates LLC. Southington Economic Development Director Lou Perillo III told the Herald the sale came soon after the former Starbucks across the street closed, and said the property is planned to be split between CAVA and Panda Express. “The restaurants are ready to go,” Perillo said, per the Herald, adding that he welcomed the new restaurant options near I-84.
Site's History and Road Improvements
The Spring Street building had been home to a Bertucci's restaurant that closed in April 2018 along with 14 other East Coast locations, before Plan B Burger Bar opened there in February 2020 and later closed in May 2025, the Herald reported. Spring St Associates LLC has purchased two properties in the area, according to Perillo, and the company has supported potential turning-lane improvements on Spring Street. The Town of Southington has already expanded the turn lane to two lanes entering and one lane exiting the parking lot, and officials said they will continue discussions with Bedding Barn, located behind the restaurant site, before any additional turning-lane work proceeds.
Part of a Broader Queen Street Boom
The new restaurants add to a wave of retail and restaurant growth along nearby Queen Street, where more than 31,000 vehicles pass daily, according to Perillo's earlier comments to the Hartford Courant. Perillo told the Courant that Aroma Joe's, Five Below, Plato's Closet and On the Mend Medical Supplies & Equipment were also planned to open in town within the following year. “This shows how important Queen Street is to our town and to our region for the services it provides and the jobs it provides of various levels as well as construction jobs and medical offices,” Perillo said, adding that Southington has built a reputation as a destination for recreation and restaurants.
CAVA's Southington debut comes as the chain continues a rapid national expansion. The company opened 20 new restaurants in the first quarter of 2026 alone, bringing its total to 459 locations across 29 states and Washington, D.C., according to Bisnow. The chain plans to open more than 75 new stores and hire 2,500 additional employees by the end of 2026, up from the 68 openings it had planned for 2025, Bisnow reported, as the broader fast-casual restaurant market, valued at $168 billion in 2023, is projected to reach $301 billion by 2032.
