The Best-Smelling, Tightest Little Store in Naugatuck is Gone

Awful news this morning for you outlet shoppers of Connecticut - The tightest, best smelling little outlet store that kept me coming back to New Haven Road/Rt.63 in Naugatuck has permanently closed.

The Freihofer Bakery Outlet at 1041 New Haven Road is no more. It wasn't just the Naugatuck location that suddenly disappeared, Bimbo/Freihofer's Outlet stores have also permanently closed in Cromwell and Orange, Connecticut, and quite a few stores in the Albany and Syracuse, New York metro areas have also suddenly shut down for good. In a statement to timesunion.com, Bimbo Bakeries USA, Friehofer's parent company said the Albany outlet store's closure was a 'Difficult decision', products from the closed stores would be redistributed, and the company was taking steps to ease the transition for the employees who were let go. Remember this outlet on Watertown Avenue in Waterbury?

My grandmother was the first person to take me to the Naugatuck - New Haven Road outlet store back in the early 1990's, when it was an outlet store for Norwalk, Connecticut-based Pepperidge Farm. Throughout the past couple of decades, I used to hunt down my precious Pepperidge Farm lobster bisque and croutons in Naugatuck. What will I do now? I know the answer - Connecticut does have a Pepperidge Farm outlet store, it's located in Westbrook at the soon-to-be-re-developed Westbrook Outlets.

That tiny little store had the most wonderful white carb aura about it. The aisles were so tight, even carrying around a shopping basket was a challenge. I guess I'll have to go to Naugatuck's main attraction now - Walmart.