Step into the foyer of 300 Roosevelt Drive, a building that has been home to any number of businesses over the years — bar, restaurant, catering company, store, to name a few.
What greets you when you walk inside — abstract paintings, lush blue leather chairs, ornate vintage lamps — signals the fact that changes are in store there.
That’s because two Seymour residents want to turn the Route 34 location in Derby into an antiques shop, auction house — and juice bar.
The business is the brainchild of Seymour residents Steve Manillo, who used to run an antiques shop in Stratford, and Paul Sciaraffa, the former owner of Carousel Gardens.
An application for the business, named Gallery 34, is scheduled to be discussed at tonight’s (March 20) meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission. Click here for a PDF of the agenda.
During an interview at the business Monday, Manillo said the business will open “the day after they approve us.”
“I’ve got people waiting,” he added. “People have been stopping by wanting to know when we’re going to open.”
He said the antiques business, long a fertile source of revenue from visitors to the state, has seen a recent bounce because of popular television shows about it.
“There’s a lot of renewed interest in it because of all the programs like Storage Wars and American Pickers,” he said. “People are becoming aware of this stuff all over again.”
The building, nearly 6,000 square feet, will serve mainly as an antiques shop, but will also be an auction gallery.
The building was most recently known as Roadhouse Bleu, a bar and restaurant that was last open about five months ago, Manillo said.
Before that it was home to River’s Edge Bar and Grill.
The front bar area will become a 13-seat juice bar with coffee, tea, cappuccino, and snacks.
A vintage Orange Julius sign Manillo recently bought will illuminate the area.
What used to be a dining room will serve as space for merchandise and occasional auctions — “table auctions” every Wednesday and estate auctions about once every two months.
Manillo said the auctions will also feature online participants and phone bidders.
As far as merchandise is concerned, Manillo listed items like antique furniture, paintings, oriental rugs, and jewelry as things they’ll see a lot of.
“It’s going to be a great place once it gets going,” he said.
