Regional Business Roundup: Stars Learning, Foxfield Uncertainty and 45 Year-Old Pizza

Uncertainty Looms Over Local Businesses as Development Rumors Swirl Around Foxfield Plaza

Summary:

What is going on with the Foxfield Plaza?

Rumors have begun swirling around town of a new grocery store moving into the plaza near the Mansfield town line - the same location where Big Y was supposed to be developed before plans fell through - but nothing has been confirmed by town officials or the property's landlord, Harvey Smith.

Foxborough Town Manager Kevin Paicos confirmed to Foxborough Patch last week there is a developer interested in buying the Foxfield Plaza but wouldn't say, per an agreement with the potential buyer, who the developers are or what the development will be.

"The developer wishes to remain anonymous as well as his plans," Paicos said in an e-mail last week.

Smith, who also owns Foxborough Furniture, said even though he's selling the place, Paicos is the man who knows exactly what’s going on.

“Apparently he knows what we don’t know,” Smith said. “I called him asking him what he knew and he couldn’t tell me. He’s the guy you got to talk to.”

Ken Gibbons, of Integrated Security, said it’s a wide open space as to what could happen.

“I don’t know what he wants to do,” he said. “I don’t know if he wants to sell it and tear it down, I mean they could build anything here.”

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Wrentham

Stars of Tomorrow Early Learning Rooted in All Around Development

Michelle Kayyal started the Stars of Tomorrow Early Learning Center last month, but her experience in early education started much earlier than that.

She said she first started in the field of mental health in her home country of the Netherlands.

“After three years into my career in mental health that I thought I started to see a pattern,” she said. “Many of the clients I worked with were academically very successful, but there was always something that went back into early childhood where the link was missing. I think it dawned on me what I was doing in the mental health field was really reactively educating people.”

Foxborough

Mansfield

Linda's Cookies and Making the Home Business Thrive

Linda Fernando started her own home business in Mansfield Linda’s Cookies in earnest almost six years ago, and she says it’s her life’s passion.

“Baking is one of those things I’ve always loved to do,” she said. “Ever since I was a little kid, I’d go bake when I was happy, when I was sad, anything. I always went to baking.”

Fernando, a graduate of The Institute of Culinary Education in New York, first started baking in the city. She opened up her own successful home shop there, but decided to come back to Massachusetts.

“My goal was to come back and open a bakery on Cape Cod,” she said. “I moved back here, and you know, life takes funny turns. I ended up meeting my husband starting a family.”

Easton

Easton's Restaurants and Businesses Showcased in Sixth Annual Taste of Easton

Summary:

Business owners, restaurateurs, chefs, and residents gathered at Stonehill College Tuesday night for the sixth annual Taste of Easton conducted by the Chamber of Commerce.

In total, 46 local businesses showcased the best they had to offer. Twenty-five exhibitors and sponsors joined the festivities, and 21 restaurants provided samples and munchies. The Oliver Ames jazz band provided entertainment for the night and a percentage of proceeds from the event benefited the Easton Food Pantry.

This year, the Stoneforge Grille was named as the best dish winner for its sirloin steak courtesy of chef Vasilios Papas. The 'Forge has come close to winning before, including last year when it was a runner-up to Maguire's Bar and Grille.

Norton

Mike’s Famous Pizza Spans a Recipe Over 45 Years

Summary:  Charlie Kampamelas first bought Mike’s Famous Pizza in Norton 15 years ago, and when he got there he changed everything but the pizza.

“The people before me were making pizza for 35 years, so I figured it must good,” he said.

The original owner, who was named Mike, first opened up shop in Norton in 1968.

Kampamelas came over to the U.S. from Greece, and started as a dishwasher. In 1980 he bought his first restaurant in Stoughton called the Sherwood Restaurant. In 1998, his friend told him that Mike was retiring and looking to sell.

Seekonk-Swansea

Stevie B's a Long Time Coming

Steven Bianchini started Stevie B’s Deli March 1 of this year, but he said his experience goes back a lot farther than that.

“I was involved with restaurants all my life,” he said.

Bianchini said he first started in his uncle’s restaurant when his about 13, called Conrad’s.

“It was roast chicken family style in Central Falls,” he said.

Bianchini said he’s mainly self-taught in cooking.

“I dream about food,” he said. “I had to be about 15 years old when I started cooking [professionally]. I starte don the grill. My uncle had a pretty good business. I would cook hamburgers, hotdogs, fish and chips, and then he started catering. My dad also had a restaurant, and while I was learning at my uncles place, I went to my dad’s place and took over the kitchen.”

Attleboro

AMJ Dance a Family Tradition in Attleboro for Almost 60 Years

Gay Heather Barboza said she’s been dancing all her life, which is not exactly an exaggeration.

“I started, maybe in the womb?” she said laughing.  “It was always a part of my life, I never knew anything different.”

Maybe a little bit of an exaggeration. She said her mother and aunts started the AMJ Dance Studio in 1954, and moved all over Attleboro to teach dance. She said AMJ stands for the names of her mother and aunts, April, May and June.

Barboza said the studio moved around a lot in those days.

“We’ve been everywhere,” she said. “We pretty much rented out church halls and music halls in the 60s. We had a permanent hall above the Lantern Lodge, which is now the Oasis.”