"The bad news: Weston Center lost its only restaurant a year ago. The good news: It now has a dive bar." That is how the local blog 06880 opened its July profile of The Chase, the bar Josh and Jessica Tolk opened at Weston Center over Memorial Day weekend 2026. The same piece ended on a quieter point. With the Lunch Box closed, people in Weston were asking for breakfast again.
Three months later, the morning table, the coffee counter and the shared meal all have a likely home in Weston, and it isn't the shopping center. It's the town's historic and nonprofit properties along Route 57 and Godfrey Road. Those grounds now carry more of the daytime calendar than Weston Center does.
What Weston Center Has Become
For years the Lunch Box was the one place to eat in Weston without driving to Georgetown or Westport. The Tolks bought it in 2014 and ran it seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In the 06880 profile, Josh Tolk said 2019 was their best year. After the pandemic, he said, eating habits changed and people became more willing to drive to fancier places. Breakfast ended about three years before The Chase opened.
The Chase is named after the Tolks' dog. They spent nine months on design and structural changes, including a new entrance that faces Weston Road. As of July, it opened at 3 p.m. and served pizza and fried food, with a bigger menu promised. Inside are beer cans from Josh Tolk's long-running collection, neon signs, a jukebox, TVs in front and video games in back. Most of the seating is at the bar and high tops, plus three regular tables. The crowd 06880 described ranged from parents out after the kids' bedtime to restaurant workers from Westport, Norwalk, Bethel, Redding and Ridgefield winding down after their own shifts. Last call came between 12:30 and 1:30 a.m.
That gives Weston Center a clear evening identity and leaves the morning empty. The July piece said a new spot "may open up nearby." We found no local report since then of a new Weston Center business, so the hours and menu above are as of July. Check with the bar before you go.
Breakfast Turned Up at 104 Weston Road
The first organized breakfast on Weston's fall calendar is at the Weston History & Culture Center, not a café. Its new Backstories & Breakfast series starts Wednesday, October 28, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at 104 Weston Road. Rebecca Gavin of the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History will talk about witches in Connecticut. Breakfast is included, and tickets cost $10 for members and $15 for nonmembers.
These grounds already work as a weekend destination. On Sunday, October 25, the center's "Fall For History!" open hours run from 1 to 4 p.m. They include the "Weston at Work" exhibit in Coley Barn, tours of Coley House and exhibits on the American Revolution. Parking and the entrance are off High Acre Road. Earlier this month, volunteers led by Karin Giannitti gave a free tour of Coley Cemetery near Weston Gardens.
The center also reaches beyond its own property. On Sunday, October 18, at 3 p.m., it joins the Friends of the Weston Library for "Who Was Alice DeLamar?" at the library, 56 Norfield Road. Author Nona Footz will discuss her new biography, and registration is required.
The 1790 Building That Could Hold the Coffee Counter
At the October 1 Board of Selectmen meeting, Weston Today reported, First Selectwoman Samantha Nestor described a very early plan for the Old Post Office and General Store, the small building beside Bisceglie-Scribner Park.
According to the recap, the Friends of the Weston Old Post Office Committee and the Weston History & Culture Center brought in experts, who confirmed the building is worth saving and can be restored. It has been vandalized recently. Under the idea, it would move to the center's grounds and could become a coffee shop, an artisan gift shop and a gathering place, run by an independent operator.
The building has a long history. The History & Culture Center says it started as a general store at Weston Road and Newtown Turnpike, went by Norfield Post Office until 1846, and became Weston's official post office in 1883.
| Question | Where it stands, per the October 2 recap |
|---|---|
| Is the building worth saving? | Experts brought in by the committee and the center say yes |
| Where would it go? | The Weston History & Culture Center grounds |
| What could it become? | A coffee shop, artisan gift shop and gathering place |
| Who would run it? | An independent operator |
| What's still open? | The legal side of moving a town-owned building, cost estimates, funding and input from relevant authorities |
This is an idea the board discussed, not an approved project, and we found no reporting on it after October 2. Still, the direction is clear. The coffee-and-conversation spot Weston Center no longer has is now being discussed for the same grounds that host Backstories & Breakfast and Coley Barn.
The Rest of the Season Follows the Same Pattern
The other two anchors this fall are also civic or nonprofit sites.
At Lachat Town Farm, 106 Godfrey Road, the sixth annual "Spirits of 1776 – A Haunted Experience" runs October 22 to 25. It's a 45-minute guided walk with actors, recommended for ages 12 and up, with cider. Tickets are $25. Lachat's monthly farmers market finished its 2026 run on September 25. Next up is the Thanksgiving Community Feast on November 26, noon to 3 p.m., at the farm's Offutt Center. AMG Catering provides the meal. Registration is $25 per person, and children under 12 eat free.
At Weston Public Library, the Friends of the Weston Library open the 2026–27 Sunday Soundscapes series on November 8 at 4 p.m. Pianist Anthony Ratinov will introduce the library's new Estonia grand piano. Admission is free, donations are suggested and reservations are recommended. For younger cooks, the library's Food Explorers class on November 4, from 3:45 to 4:45 p.m., makes apple-cheesecake eggrolls with kids 6 and older. Registration is required and space is limited.
Here is the calendar from now through Thanksgiving, sorted by date:
| Date | Event | Address |
|---|---|---|
| Thu., Oct. 15, 5 p.m. | Founders Day | Weston Town Hall, 56 Norfield Rd. |
| Sun., Oct. 18, 3 p.m. | "Who Was Alice DeLamar?" | Weston Public Library, 56 Norfield Rd. |
| Oct. 22–25 | Spirits of 1776 | Lachat Town Farm, 106 Godfrey Rd. |
| Sun., Oct. 25, 1–4 p.m. | Fall For History! open hours | 104 Weston Rd. |
| Wed., Oct. 28, 9:30 a.m. | Backstories & Breakfast | 104 Weston Rd. |
| Wed., Nov. 4, 3:45 p.m. | Food Explorers | Weston Public Library |
| Sun., Nov. 8, 4 p.m. | Sunday Soundscapes opener | Weston Public Library |
| Thu., Nov. 26, noon | Thanksgiving Community Feast | Lachat's Offutt Center |
Founders Day comes from the town calendar. As of October 11, the town site carried a notice that it was having technical difficulties, so confirm that listing before you go.
Still Unsettled
A few things on Weston's shared calendar don't have firm answers yet:
- The holiday tree lighting. On October 1 the selectmen approved $2,500 for musical acts at the annual holiday tree lighting and music festival. The town calendar doesn't list a 2026 date yet. Last year's festival was December 4 on the Weston Town Green, but that doesn't confirm this year's date or location.
- Bisceglie-Scribner Park. Parks & Recreation lists the pond as closed for the season and has updated pickleball rules and schedules for fall 2026. Registration for winter programs opens October 19.
- A breakfast spot at Weston Center. It was mentioned as possible in July, and nothing has been announced since.
- The Old Post Office move. Funding, legal questions and approvals are all still open.
For more on how Weston uses its open land, see our piece on why Devil's Den runs on different rules than the rest of Weston and our Weston neighborhood page.
At Barbara Sweeney Homes, we follow Weston's small changes as closely as its sales, from a new barroom on Route 57 to a 1790 general store that might be moved down the road. If you'd like to talk about where your own Weston address fits, Barbara is glad to sit down with you over coffee, wherever in town that ends up being. Work with Barbara: Schedule a free consultation.
