This article was originally published by the Barnstable Patriot, view orginial article here.
Written by Patriot Staff
Ribbon cut at mall location
“It’s Leo’s fault I’m here,” Casual Gourmet owner Olive Chase declared at the grand opening of the company’s Express location in the Cape Cod Mall food court.
“Leo” is Leo Fein, the mall’s general manager, who sought to fill the space left vacant by Au Bon Pain about a year ago.
He said it was during a pick-up of food at the Centerville location for the annual Figawi boat race to Nantucket that he made the connection.
“I thought, ‘Hmm. Casual gourmet. Cape Cod Mall,’” he said, and made the pitch.
The first response questioned Fein’s sanity. The next one set about getting the deal done.
It took six weeks to get the corner location in the food court ready to open, which it did two weeks ago. It offers the same array of offerings as at all other Casual Gourmet locations.
“This is an early indicator that the recession is over,” state Sen. Rob O’Leary said of Chase’s decision to open a new business.
DS II
dstill@barnstablepatriot.com