Want a steak from one of star chef Bobby Flay’s restaurants? You won’t have to travel to New York or Las Vegas.
The Food Network personality has partnered with Wonder, a virtual food hall concept that is opening locations across the country, including Bedford and Salem.
In Bedford, Wonder will join the lineup with other restaurants and shops at Market and Main. In Salem, the restaurant will take up about 4,000 square feet of the former Top Fitness in the plaza with Barnes & Noble on Broadway.
A sign on the window of the Bedford location says the restaurant will feature 20-plus exclusive menus, including Royal Greens Salads, Tejas Barbecue and Limesalt Mexican, and more from chef-crafted restaurants.
David Jordan, an engineer and land surveyor with Greenman-Pedersen Inc., told the Salem Planning Board last month that the quick-serve restaurant partners with well-known restaurants and chefs, and they re-create famous dishes.
“Their operation is largely takeout,” Jordan said. “Roughly 60% of their orders are delivery. The remaining 40% are customer pickup and eat-in. The eat-in is a very small percentage of that.”
During peak hours in the evening, up to 13 employees will be working, Jordan said.
The concept seems perfect for a date night or family dinner where different cuisines can be ordered from a single spot.
Customers can order online or at a kiosk inside a brick-and-mortar location.
Revving up
The Bad Brgr lifted truck made quite the impression on Elm Street in Manchester before it got a ticket and an order from the city for it to be moved.
Now the truck is set to make its next appearance in Rochester, where Bad Brgr will open its latest restaurant. The brand will take over the former New England Pizza, which was at 195 Wakefield St. for 30 years before it closed in 2024. The new Bad Brgr location is set to open on April 18, according to a note on Facebook.
The brand started as a small seaside burger joint before it opened its location on Elm Street in Manchester. Another location has since opened at the Mall of New Hampshire.
Evviva now open
Evviva Trattoria is now open at Merchant Way in Concord. The growing plaza, just off Interstate 93’s Exit 17, is home also to Market Basket, HomeGoods and a New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet.
Evviva, which “features modern Italian food served in a comfortable and casual atmosphere,” has locations in Bedford, Nashua and Rochester as well, according to its website.
Tempting tenant
Also in Concord, a new tenant is gearing up to open in the Planet Fitness plaza on Fort Eddy Road, and the store’s offerings sure are tempting.
NH Doughnut Co. recently went before the city’s Design Review Committee about its new sign. The business will relocate to the new space from Eagle Square.
The new shop will be akin to its Bedford location where customers can park and pick up orders.
The company recently posted a photo of a chalkboard offering “When is Concord opening” lattes.
Some of the options: “Soon or Later,” “Eventually,” “April … Maybe?” “Your guess is as good as mine” and “Not soon enough.”
Closing note
It’s never easy to say goodbye to any business, especially to a general store.
White Birch General Store in Bennington announced with “great sadness” on Facebook that the shop is permanently closed. The reimagined general store opened in 2024.
“We are so incredibly grateful for the love, support, and sense of community you’ve given us. This little store was made special by each and every one of you — your visits, your conversations, and the connections formed along the way,” the note reads. “Thank you for being such an important part of our story. We will always cherish it.”
The store offered specialty goods and gourmet sandwiches, and it was known to sell a wide variety of local products, including Ben’s Sugar Shack maple syrup.
