Wendy Mount and Amanda Desmond chose an opening day that suited the name. Their new shop at 40 Reef Road opened on June 10, and Desmond's answer to when it opened was "The 10th of June – couple days ago." Tenth of June had been one of five businesses on a strip of Unquowa Road. In February, the property owner gave all five a mid-April deadline to leave.
By late September, the first of those buildings was gone. A crew spent the second half of the month taking down 39 Unquowa Road, the old home of Catch a Healthy Habit, and Westfair photographed what was left as a pile of bricks. None of the five businesses closed for good. They moved to Post Road, Sherman Street and Reef Road, so the old Unquowa block is now spread across downtown Fairfield. The building planned for the site has space for only two shops.
Five Departures, Spread Over Eight Months
Each business left on its own schedule, and the order mattered. Some had their new space ready, while others had to build theirs out first.
- February 2026. Dr. Lee Forest, a Stratford family doctor who owns the buildings through 15 Unquowa Road LLC, sent the five tenants letters to vacate by April.
- April 27. Fairfield Hair House held its ribbon-cutting at 1040 Post Road.
- May 19. Catch a Healthy Habit served its last day on Unquowa Road.
- June 10. Wendy & June opened at 40 Reef Road.
- By August 19. The cafe had reopened as Clean Slate at 116 Sherman Street.
- By September 28. Las Vetas Lounge had moved to 1640 Post Road, and 39 Unquowa Road had been demolished.
The gaps between those dates came from the work each new space needed. In June, News 12 found Clean Slate's new spot still under construction and Las Vetas still being renovated. Both had community fundraisers to help with the cost of starting over. The barber shop's new space was already set up as a salon, and it reopened in April.
Post Road: A Barber Shop With a Parking Lot
A barber shop had been on Unquowa Road for 80 years, under several owners. Marco DiVincenzo ran the most recent version and found his next space early, in the former Brush & Blush Salon at 1040 Post Road beside Hansen's Flowers. "They have an existing spot there built out for a salon," he told Westfair in February.
The new business is called Fairfield Hair House, and Patch identifies DiVincenzo and June Chen as its co-owners. Chen used to work with DiVincenzo at the old shop. The salon serves men and women and offers scalp-health treatments. Its website also lists classic cuts, color and organic hair products. The shop's website lists hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week.
Chen named one practical gain. "Everyone's very happy," she told News 12, and she called the parking lot a big improvement over the old space.
Las Vetas Lounge went in the same direction, to 1640 Post Road. The coffee shop used to be at 27 Unquowa Road, and in April Westfair reported that owner Andrew Servetas hoped to reopen around July 1. By September 28, the paper listed Las Vetas at its new address. Las Vetas hasn't posted hours for the new location in any source this post relies on, so check the lounge's own channels before you go.
Sherman Street: The Cafe Took a New Name
Glen Colello and Lisa Storch had run Catch a Healthy Habit on Unquowa Road since 2009. They began looking for a permanent spot in downtown Fairfield as soon as the notice arrived. "We would like to find a nice spot, which would be a permanent thing," Colello told Westfair.
They chose 116 Sherman Street and renamed the cafe Clean Slate. The town says a micro-enterprise grant helped pay for equipment and fit-up costs at the new space. Regulars will notice the menu has changed. The current menu is still mostly plant-based, gluten-free and made without seed oils, but it now includes some dairy and protein options. There is a coffee bar alongside the juices, matcha and smoothies, and the food runs to bowls, toasts, flatbreads, wraps and salads.
Nancy Galasso Interiors also moved to Sherman Street, at 51 Sherman Street West, according to News 12's June report. The studio's own contact page still shows an older Post Road address, so call ahead before visiting.
Reef Road: Two Shops Under One Name
The Reef Road move brought two shops under one sign. Tenth of June, a home and garden shop, now shares 40 Reef Road with Wendy Loves This, a lifestyle and apparel brand. Together they trade as Wendy & June. "We combined it to be Wendy & June," the owners told News 12. "But we're still two separate businesses."
Tenth of June still sells home goods, botanicals, apparel and jewelry, and it still offers help with home styling and sourcing. In February, Westfair called it "Tenth of June for the holidays." That makes this fall the shop's first holiday season at Reef Road.
What Comes Back to Unquowa Road
Here is how the block changes:
| Before 2026 | Planned | |
|---|---|---|
| Ground-floor businesses | Five | Two commercial spaces totaling 2,250 sq. ft. |
| Building | A two-story retail building plus smaller structures | Center Commons, five stories, about 57,230 sq. ft. |
| Upper floors | Not applicable | 50 apartments |
The two retail spaces were set by a settlement. Fairfield's Plan and Zoning Commission turned down the project in 2022, and a judge ruled for the developer in 2024. The settlement that followed, worked out by the town, its commission and Dr. Forest, guaranteed at least two street-level shops.
Waiting for those spaces was never realistic for the businesses that left. Westfair reports that construction should begin in late 2026 or early 2027. The developer expects 12 to 18 months for vertical construction and interior build-outs once the foundation is poured. Colello made the same calculation in February:
"It would be a two-year buildout. So, we are not going to hang around for that."
The rest of the demolition is still to come. As of September 28, 39 Unquowa Road was the only building down. The buildings that housed Las Vetas, the barber shop, Tenth of June and Nancy Galasso Interiors were marked for demolition but still standing. Westfair reports that Dr. Forest has hired excavators to take down the buildings on Unquowa Road.
Unquowa Road isn't the only demolition site this fall. On the other side of town, crews have cleared 770 Commerce Drive, the former Rio Bravo Tacos & Tequila, and the old industrial building at 750 Commerce Drive. Skala Partners plans a 90-unit building there with 4,313 square feet of ground-floor retail, a tenth of a mile from the Fairfield Metro station. It is scheduled to start construction in late 2026 and finish in 2027. For now, the haircut is at 1040 Post Road, the smoothie is at 116 Sherman Street, and the holiday shopping is at 40 Reef Road.
As downtown Fairfield's streets change, so does the context around nearby homes. If you'd like a careful, private read on how this year's changes around Unquowa Road, Post Road and Sherman Street affect your property, Kate Cacciatore is glad to talk it through. Request a Confidential Home Valuation.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.