Curtains to open at Meriden Mall dinner theater this summer
PHOTO | Michelle Tuccitto Sullo
The 78 Dinner Theater is scheduled to open in the Meriden Mall this summer.
A dinner theater is slated to open inside the Meriden Mall this summer, following delays caused by the pandemic.
That’s according to Daniel Grant, one of the four partners with The 78 Dinner Theater, a production company specializing in live music, plays and dance, based in Meriden.
Grant said the multi-faceted business will feature a full restaurant and bar/lounge with a small stage. Also, it will have a second, larger stage with seating for upwards of 300 people for plays, dance shows, performance art, lectures and more. A third component will feature a dance studio. Grant said the project is estimated to cost about $1.4 million.
The 78 will occupy some 15,000 square feet on the second floor of the mall, which previously housed three retailers - Ann Taylor Loft, Enzo’s Tuxedo and Aeropostale.
“When people visit us, they can expect fantastic, locally-sourced food, outstanding cocktails and an eclectic mix of high quality entertainment in a semi-art deco/steampunk environment,” Grant said. “We will have a seasonal dinner menu in the restaurant side and a menu crafted to fit with the performances on the theater side.”
Grant said the plan was to open The 78 earlier this year, but the COVID-19 pandemic slowed progress.
“Due to COVID, supply chain issues and such, we are still behind on construction,” Grant said. “Hopefully we will be close to fully operational in the summer.”
Grant said taking up shop in the Meriden Mall, located on Lewis Avenue, is a great way to help breathe new life into the struggling facility. The 900,000-square-foot Meriden Mall, like many malls across America, is dealing with empty storefronts, and the loss of major anchors.
Meriden Mall is among the state’s most distressed shopping centers, but last October a $2.8 million deal was struck for Yale New Haven Health to purchase the old Macy’s and turn it into a healthcare facility.
Namdar Realty Group and Mason Asset Management, both based in Long Island with a history of buying distressed malls, purchased the Meriden Mall in 2020.
Grant said when The 78 was looking for a facility to place roots, the idea of moving into the mall was brought to his attention by Meriden’s Economic Development Director Joe Feest, who was not available for comment.
“Meriden is in a good central location; it has easy access to highways and the mall itself is in need of something to help revitalize it,” Grant added. “We hope to serve not just the local community, but also be a destination for people from around the state. We were able to find space with high enough ceilings and our own outside entrance since we will be open beyond the mall’s regular hours.”
The 78, according to Grant, was a concept started in 2018 between himself and Marc Dube, and was originally planned to be a smaller, speakeasy cabaret. However, when the two other partners, Heather Dillon and Mia Giacometti, came onboard in 2021, the project expanded into a dance studio and larger stage/theater. The company just staged its first public production of “Shall We Dance” earlier this month at the Greater Hartford Academy.
For more information and project updates, visit The Seven Eight Dinner Theater’s website.
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