"Don't let the glow fade when the tree does." That line comes from The Shops at Farmington Valley's own page for this year's Holiday Stroll + Tree Lighting. It sits right under the schedule and above a list of four restaurants "just steps from the tree."
One name on that list wasn't open at the center a year ago. The newest one hasn't held its grand opening yet. In 2026 the 425,000-square-foot open-air center at 110 Albany Turnpike in Canton added restaurants in a planned sequence, and this fall's holiday calendar treats dinner as part of the trip.
The openings came in order
This summer, CT Insider reported that the Shake Shack opening would be "the first in a series of restaurant openings" at the center. Its timeline: a Wonder food hall next, then the Asian restaurant Ramen & Bao "later this year," and a CAVA Mediterranean eatery sometime in 2027. Patch had already named Shake Shack, Wonder and Ramen + Bao as the center's three restaurant openings for 2026, with CAVA expected in 2027.
Here is how the dates stacked up.
| Restaurant | Reported timing | What the reporting says |
|---|---|---|
| Shake Shack | July 22 | CT Insider cited the center's website for the date. It would be the chain's 10th Connecticut location. |
| Wonder | August, then Oct. 1 | The Connecticut Post projected August in July. CT Insider later reported a soft open on a Monday and a grand opening Oct. 1. |
| Ramen + Bao | Nov. 14 | Grand opening listed by the center for Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. |
| CAVA | 2027 | Expected next year, per Patch. |
Before this, the nearest Shake Shack for a lot of Farmington Valley households was in West Hartford or Newington. CT Insider's list of the chain's other Connecticut locations also includes Cheshire, Danbury, Darien, New Haven, South Windsor, Stamford and Westport. Wonder was in a similar position. In July, CT Insider listed a West Hartford Wonder among the spots set to open around the state. By late September, Canton was described as the brand's 12th Connecticut food hall.
The July CT Insider report on Shake Shack is where the full sequence first showed up. Wonder slid from summer to fall. The Connecticut Post had it for August, and CT Insider's September report moved the grand opening to Oct. 1. In that same September report, CT Insider described the Canton Wonder as offering in-person dining, takeout and free delivery, with dishes from chef- and restaurant-branded menus under one roof.
The last opening is the locally owned one
The first two openings are brands with locations all over the state. The third is a family business.
The Hartford Courant described R n B Restaurant Group as a family-run, family-owned Connecticut company. It reported that Rachel Liu and her husband, Yexiang Zhan, would own the Canton restaurant. When the Hartford Business Journal announced the Canton lease in December 2025, it called this the group's third location, after Oxford and a planned Cheshire spot. CT Insider reported this July that the Cheshire restaurant had opened.
According to the Business Journal, the menu covers ramen bowls, steamed bao, handmade soup dumplings, scallion-pancake wraps, Taiwanese fried chicken and spring rolls, with both full-service dining and carryout. The Canton restaurant's own site lists these ramen bowls:
- Tonkotsu
- Sapporo Miso
- Roast Duck with Black Truffle
It also lists two soup dumplings, Signature Pork and Blue Crab & Pork. The site already shows an online ordering link along with posted hours of 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 9:30 p.m. Sunday.
The center's grand opening listing is for this Saturday, Nov. 14, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., described as "fun festivities to celebrate the arrival of Ramen + Bao." That puts the newest dining room's grand opening exactly one week before the center's biggest holiday evening.
Nov. 21 is planned around the dinner hour
The Holiday Stroll + Tree Lighting runs Saturday, Nov. 21, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. The center calls it "Winter Wonders." The tree lights at 4:45, just about when an early-evening dinner reservation starts making sense.
The posted schedule:
- All day: Sips and snacks at Brighton with free gift wrapping with purchase, a North Pole Mailbox for letters to Santa at Blo Blow Dry Bar, and sweet treats from many of the shops.
- 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.: Local artist Brigid Carey customizes bags by hand at FP Movement.
- 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.: The Farmington High School Choir sings carols, VIO Med Spa runs a holiday stocking craft for kids, and Sur La Table pours hot cider, espresso and cappuccinos for adults.
- 4 p.m.: Ben & Jerry's serves hot cocoa by the tree.
- 4:30 p.m.: Everyone gathers at the tree for the Farmington High School Chorale Group.
- 4:45 p.m.: Tree lighting with a "very special guest."
Two activities need sign-ups ahead of time. Cookie decorating at Barnes & Noble has 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. sessions with limited space and pre-registration required. Ornament making at Valley Kids Co. has a sign-up too. The page says "these spots go fast."
After the tree lights up, the page sends everyone to dinner. Its list has four places: Ramen + Bao, Shake Shack, American Flatbread and Mercato Italian Kitchen & Bar. Two of the four are 2026 additions. So the first holiday evening after this year's openings ends at a table. The stroll is over by 5 p.m., and the four restaurants are what the center offers for the rest of the night.
December keeps the food tied to the calendar
The center's December events keep using its restaurants and stores as the setting.
- Saturday, Dec. 5, 11 a.m. to noon: Polar Express story time at Barnes & Noble.
- Saturday, Dec. 12, 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Santa Brunch at Mercato Italian Kitchen + Bar, with family photos, a children's craft, cookie-making, and Santa visiting tables.
Mercato was already part of the center before this year's openings, and its Santa Brunch puts a December event inside a dining room instead of out on the walkways.
CAVA comes next. Patch reported in June that the Mediterranean chain was expected at the center in 2027. When it opens, the center will have four new restaurants in about two years, and its holiday season will already be built around them.
Down the road in Avon, Progression Brewing Co. picked 300 W. Main St. for its new brewery and restaurant. Patch reported a planned July 17 opening that an equipment issue pushed back one day. That gives the valley another new place to eat after a Saturday afternoon at the Shops.
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