Check CAVA's website and you'll see its Suite 700 location at Somerset Square in Glastonbury marked as open, offering dine-in, pickup, and delivery from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day. Check the shopping center's own directory, though, and CAVA is still listed as coming soon, alongside five other recently signed tenants.
That gap between signed and open is the real story behind the center's latest sale. According to the Hartford Business Journal's October 13 report, Asana Partners purchased the 13.6-acre property at 110–178 Glastonbury Blvd. from Poag Shopping Centers for $29.5 million in an off-market transaction. That's almost exactly what Poag paid in 2022. The price barely moved, but the lineup of tenants has changed quite a bit.
Three Sales, Nearly the Same Price Twice
- 2016: Rouse Properties, later acquired by Brookfield Properties, bought the center for $42 million.
- November 2022: Poag Shopping Centers purchased it out of receivership for $30.07 million.
- October 2026: Asana Partners bought it for $29.5 million.
The latest price is roughly 2% under the 2022 figure and close to 30% below what it fetched in 2016. Broker David Dumeer of Goman + York pointed to upcoming capital needs, including a roof replacement across the entire center, as a factor in the price. Town records cited in the report show four of the buildings date to 1987 and one to 2007.
When Poag bought the property in 2022, CEO Joshua Poag acknowledged it was underperforming but said he believed it could be turned around. Per the Hartford Courant in May 2026, occupancy stood at 68% at the time of Poag's purchase and climbed to 79% within a year. Dumeer projected occupancy would reach 87% as the six new tenants opened between summer 2026 and early 2027. When the October sale closed, the center was 84% leased, with three empty storefronts ranging from 3,000 to 7,000 square feet.
Where the Six New Tenants Stood in Mid-October
Here's how the Courant's May projections compared with what I found during the week of October 12:
- CAVA (Suite 700): Projected for sometime in 2026. CAVA's own location page shows it open with a phone number, online ordering, and seven-day hours, while the center's page still says coming soon. HBJ had reported in May that no official opening date was set.
- Tiger Belly Noodle & Sushi Bar: A second location for the Granby restaurant known for ramen, pho, and sushi. Projected for summer 2026 and still listed as coming soon.
- Aroma Body & Foot Massage (Suite 770, beside Lux Bond & Green): Already operating in West Hartford and Manchester. The Courant first reported a fall 2026 opening in April, then summer 2026 in May. Still coming soon.
- Colony Grill (Suite 340): Founded in Stamford in 1935 and famous for its thin-crust hot-oil pizzas. Projected for fall 2026, and its own website lists Glastonbury as coming soon.
- Cold Stone Creamery (Suite 720, beside J.Jill): Projected for fall 2026 and still coming soon.
- Milestone Restaurant (Suite 240): With locations in Mystic and Georgetown, it's aiming for early 2027, the latest target of the group.
Together, the six account for close to 18,000 square feet, according to the Courant. During the week of October 12, every one of them, CAVA included, appeared as coming soon on the center's pages. CAVA's site was the only place showing an open storefront.
The Former Max Amore Space Says a Lot About the Strategy
Milestone owner Peter Fine picked the space that once housed Max Amore, which Max Hospitality operated until it closed in 2019. Fine has described that restaurant as a longtime neighborhood favorite and envisions Milestone filling a similar role: a gathering place with good food, cocktails, and some live music.
Dumeer has characterized the new mix as spanning everything from quick bites to fast-casual thin-crust pizza to sit-down dining with craft cocktails and live music. His argument is that the center needs to be a destination, not simply a collection of tenants who can cover the rent. The model he points to is The Shops at Evergreen Walk in South Windsor, which Poag helped develop. The idea is for Somerset Square and the offices, hotels, shops, and restaurants around it to work together as one place people want to visit.
What Asana Has Said About Its Plans
Mario Cabrera, Asana's director of asset management, has said the firm isn't planning a major overhaul but will invest to keep the center a leading retail destination for the area. Goman + York stays on as exclusive leasing agent, so the same broker who brought in the six new tenants will be working to fill the three vacant spaces.
Two physical changes are on the horizon:
- Roof work, which was already baked into the sale price.
- Two new outdoor patio dining areas. Back in May, Dumeer said the outdoor spaces would be reworked to be more pedestrian-friendly.
Neither report included a construction start date.
Beyond the six newcomers, current tenants include Max Fish, Lux Bond & Green, Talbots, J.Jill, Chico's, Jos. A. Bank, Starbucks, Munson's Chocolates, and Pure Barre, according to HBJ, along with Chipotle, Harvey & Lewis, and Social Lounge & Bar, according to the Courant.
What to Watch From Here
- Now: CAVA's site lists Suite 700 as open.
- Fall 2026 targets: Colony Grill and Cold Stone, both still coming soon as of mid-October.
- Past-due summer targets: Tiger Belly and Aroma, neither with a posted opening date.
- Early 2027: Milestone in the old Max Amore space.
Occupancy has gone from 68% to 84% leased. The number that matters most now is how many of those leased suites actually open their doors. If the pattern looks anything like Blue Back Square in West Hartford, the transformation will happen gradually, one storefront at a time.
Keeping Tabs on Glastonbury
I follow the openings along Glastonbury Boulevard alongside local home sales because what happens at places like Somerset Square shapes how buyers see the neighborhood. If you're curious what your Glastonbury home is worth today, reach out and I'll put together a valuation for you.