Amazing Ackee, the vegan Jamaican pastry shop that has built a loyal following for years at Capitol Region farmers markets, will open a brick-and-mortar store at 80 Poquonock Ave. in Windsor. The store will sell empanadas in a variety of flavors, coconut bread, and more.
Likkle Patty Shop’s soft opening for takeout is Wednesday, November 23, from noon to 4 p.m. The shop will take Thanksgiving off and then reopen on Black Friday. From that moment on, the hours will be from Wednesday to Friday from 12 to 16 hours and Saturdays from 10 to 14 hours.
“We can add hours later to accommodate consumer demand, but we want to wait and see how it goes. It’s easier to add hours than subtract them,” said founder Chantal Thomas.
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Thomas founded Amazing Ackee in 2018. He has been working to open the store since last December. He had hoped to open sooner, but in March a car crashed into the empty space he planned to occupy.
“It happened the day I was supposed to receive the keys. It took a long time to repair the damage. It was completed in August,” Thomas said. “We were able to come back in September, but the contractors have been very busy since COVID, so the electrician and plumber took a while.”
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Thomas has 10 main flavors of empanadas: Amazing Ackee, Jerk Spice Eggplant, Curry Chickpea Zucchini, Lovely Lentil, Oh My Cauli, Spicy Squash, Super Spinach, Baby Got Broc, Sweet Beets, and Calypso which is caramelized turnip, kale, corn and tomato.
In the store, he will sell his empanadas, in a rotating menu of flavors, and coconut bread. Thomas said that starting Wednesday, he, too, will be selling food items from Hartford-based food entrepreneurs, including Rasta Pasta made by GiGi Lawrence’s The RastaRant Experience and Anahid Khachoyan’s Yum-us Hummus.
Eventually, the store will sell plant-based pizzas, sandwiches, and sweets, as well as new varieties of seasonal empanadas.
“I want the opportunity to play with the flavors. I want to keep it fun and keep myself and my attendees sane,” Thomas said. “We can introduce things like an apple pie pie or use some vegetables that come when summer comes.”
Thomas’ cooking facility is at Hilliard Mills in Manchester.
Thomas will still make the rounds at the farmers markets. She will be participating in Small Shop Saturday on November 26 from 9am to 1pm at Nathan Hale School, 160 Spruce St. in Manchester, and some of the winter farmers markets at Ellington and Coventry high schools.
Susan Dunne can be reached at [email protected].