Nardelli's Grinder Shoppe Closes In Norwalk, To Reopen Under New Owner
NORWALK, CT — Nardelli’s Grinder Shoppe, a popular sandwich franchise whose history dates back over 100 years, recently closed its sole Norwalk location, however store officials have confirmed the closure is only temporary.
The Norwalk store, located at 345 Main Avenue, officially closed back in mid-June and has yet to reopen.
A sign posted to the location’s window Thursday afternoon noted the “store will reopen under new management soon.”
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According to the owner of the Norwalk location, Matthew Youngs, the closure was the result of an opportunity for his family that recently presented itself, prompting him to seek a transfer of ownership for the store.
“Unfortunately the timing was swift,” Youngs said to Patch, “so I worked with the Nardelli family on a short-term solution.”
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The company confirmed to Patch last week the location was only temporarily closed and “available to own,” however Youngs said Tuesday a new franchisee has already been identified and the Nardelli’s team is working with them to reopen the shop by the end of the summer.
“Nardelli’s Norwalk has a tremendous and loyal customer base,” Youngs said. “I shared the news with many of them but could not communicate to all. We know they’re craving Italian combos, cavatelli and broccoli salad, waffle rolled cheesecake, Nardelli’s root beer and more. We appreciate them greatly and look forward to them returning at the end of the summer.”
Youngs also noted the store will likely create a special promotion to invite loyal Norwalk customers back after the reopening.
The Norwalk shop first opened back in February 2022. The location marked Nardelli’s first store directly in the lower area of Fairfield County, with the franchise’s current stores closest to Norwalk located in Danbury and Milford.
At the time of the opening, owner Marco Nardelli said the Norwalk area always seemed like an ideal place for franchise expansion.
“We’re from the Waterbury area,” Nardelli said, “so a lot of our customers that commute have told us that they would love to have a location in [lower] Fairfield County…so we found that there’s a need, and then when Matthew came to us, we thought it was a great fit.”
Nardelli’s also has locations in Oxford, Southbury, Naugatuck, Waterbury, Wallingford, Meriden, East Lyme, Middletown, Southington, Cromwell, Torrington, Farmington and East Hartford, as well as Sturbridge, Mass.
Nardelli’s is most famous for its menu of specialty grinders, specifically its “world-famous” Italian combo grinder.
The franchise has won a number of awards over the years, and was even featured in an episode of the Food Network show “Sandwich Paradise.”
Youngs emphasized the franchise will soon be open again in Norwalk and expressed his gratitude again to local customers who have been lining up for grinders and other Nardelli’s favorites since the store first opened.
“Nardelli’s Norwalk has a 4.7 Google Star rating from our customers and many great reviews,” Youngs said. “We’ve seen several comments from our customers on social media since closing and appreciate the kind words. We want to assure them that we’ll be back!”
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