The Westport Board of Selectmen today approved two new pop-up dining applications for the downtown area—Bobby Q’s on Main Street and the new Cru restaurant opening in the basement of 125 Main St. with its entrance on Parker Harding Plaza. Bob LeRose, owner of Bobby Q’s said he hoped to be up and running for the May 23 Art About Town street party sponsored by the Westport Downtown Merchants Association. Pictured is Bobby Q’s temporary outdoor dining facility erected during the 2011 Art About Town event. The new Bobby Q’s pop-up will be narrower—since there will traffic flowing—and take up two parking spaces. Cru co-owner Steve Prokop said he is aiming for a June opening with the pop-up to debut on Parker Harding Plaza soon after. Currently, Acqua Ristorante Mediterraneo on Parker Harding Plaza and La Villa Trattoria restaurant on Bay Street have pop-up cafe approvals downtown. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Helen Klisser During for WestportNow.com

The women’s apparel and accessories store Chico’s will reopen Thursday at 61 Main St, according to an employee. It has been closed since Storm Sandy last October—the last Main Street holdout from storm damage. Chico’s was also closed due to the flooding caused by Tropical Storm Irene in late August 2011, reopening in November 2011. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Westport’s Sunglass Hut, 74 Main St. closed since Storm Sandy last October, reopened today. The business also operates in other Fairfield County locations including Greenwich, Stamford, Danbury and Trumbull. Today’s opening leaves Chico’s as the last Storm Sandy Main Street victim. It is expected to reopen next week. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Akram men’s and women’s apparel store at 9 Sconset Square across from the Christ & Holy Trinity Church has closed after a year. (See WestportNow May 11, 2012).  Co-owners Akram Enany and his wife Seham Ibrahim previously owned the 4@1 store at 141 Post Road East. The Sconset Square space was formerly occupied by Green Earth Design. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

The Fast Stop convenience store at 20 Saugatuck Ave. abrutptly closed on Tuesday. A short time later, the U.S. Postal Service issued an announcement saying its Contract Postal Unit within Fast Stop was closed. There was no official reason given for the closure. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Bob Eckman for WestportNow.com

Work is underway to prepare for the opening in a few weeks of Cru, a new Westport restaurant in the lower level of 125 Main St., home of Gap stores, with its main entrance at Parker-Harding Plaza.  Co-owner Todd Rose said the restaurant will serve a variety of globally inspired entrees and small plates of western and Asian cuisine. He said plans are to seat around 100, a combination of traditional table height and cocktail-level seating with a large bar that features artisanal cocktails. Rose and his business partner, Steve Prokop, are the co-owners of Cuvee, an upscale restaurant in West Hartford. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Kidville, dedicated to children’s activities, will open in late August at 1568 Post Road East, the former location of Goodwill Industries, according to owner Valerie Gutman. Gutman, the “mayor” of Kidville according to Kidville vernacular, said the store will offer a children’s boutique shop, birthday parties, classes for newborn to 6-year-olds in music, dance, art and pre-school enrichment, a gym and KVU—Kidville University classes. Gutman said she initially became aware of Kidville when she and her husband Rob lived in New York. “We enrolled 3-year-old daughter, Blake, in the Upper East Side Kidville’s ballet and music classes,” she said. “My husband, Rob, and I were so pleased that when we moved to Westport last June we decided to open a Kidville here.”  Gutman said Kidville, a New York-based franchise, now has a 25 locations in the United States, plus additional franchises in Canada, Egypt, India, the United Arab Emirates, and Hong Kong. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

The Blu Parrot, a restaurant featuring food and music at 60 Charles St., has abruptly closed after a seven-month run, according to an associate of Adam Lubarsky, co-owner of the restaurant that opened last October. A note on the door expressed thanks to customers, friends, and those in the music community for their support. A Blu Parrot email today said: “To all of our friends, customers and muscians who have supported us here at The Blu Parrot: we will be closing our doors as of 5/1/13. There are parties that are interested in buying the business and we can only hope that they will continue to bring the best in live music to the Westport area. Thank you for all of your support and making this such a great place.” Lubarsky said today he was not in a mood to talk about the closing. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com