WHAT'S HAPPENING in AUGUST!

HOT TABLE Now Open for Business!

A busy opening day at Hot Table set the tone for what promises to be a booming success for the new Main Street eatery.

The doors are open and the aroma of delicious made-to-order Panini sandwiches and fresh baked cookies fills the air at the HOT TABLE restaurant on Main Street in downtown Springfield. Downtown office workers, business owners, local residents and visitors have kept the restaurant hopping since opening their doors on July 27th.

After just a few months and a lot of hard work, owners John DeVoie, Chris DeVoie and Don Watroba have transformed the former deli space into a cozy yet spacious environment that is inviting for a relaxing bite to eat with friends or a lunch meeting with colleagues.  Complete with a dining area seating up to 60 people, a working fireplace, comfortable leather arm chairs, and free WiFi, HOT TABLE is now a new hot spot to dine in downtown Springfield!

"We couldn't be more pleased to have HOT TABLE open its doors at Tower Square," commented Fred G. Christensen, Senior Property Manager, Tower Square.  "You have to see the transformation of the space to believe it, and the quality and freshness of the menu items is going to be a big draw for consumers as well."

Across between Panera Bread and Starbucks, HOT TABLE is considered fast casual dining, which has already proven to be a successful combination at the original location in Springfield's Sixteen Acres.  After more than two years, that operation is doing so well, that HOT TABLE owners decided to open the second restaurant at Tower Square.

"Opening HOT TABLE on Main Street is something we have been looking forward to for quite some time," stated HOT TABLE co-owner John DeVoie.  "We are excited about filling a gap at Tower Square and offering a unique dining option to downtown patrons."

Aside from their signature Panini sandwiches, HOT TABLE also offers fresh made-to-order salads, soups, desserts and a variety of specialty coffees.  They are open Monday Friday from 7am to 6pm and Saturdays from 7am 3pm.

Vendor Specials a Hit for Farmers' Market Patrons

 It may have taken the sun a while to decide to grace the Farmers Market with its presence last month, but once it did, cool refreshing ice cream seemed to be on the minds of many!  It wasn't just the heat of the summer sun that enticed patrons to the Barts Ice Cream Bus, though.  It was the Buy One Get One Free promotion that brought office workers and local residents out in clusters!

 Offering ice cream flavors like Ginger, Mud Pie, Deep Purple Cow, Mass Mocha and Raspberry Sorbet to name a few, the Ice Cream Bus is one of the "hot" spots at the market. 

 Other hot spots include the Austin Brothers tent, where they are grilling up all natural burgers each Friday, as well as selling beef and pork to take home.

Monthly Parkers Can Pay On-Line

Standard Parking patrons who pay monthly to park in the Tower Square garage, will now be able to pay and manage their parking accounts online 24/7!

Enrolling is easy!  Visit www.standardparking.com and click the Monthly Parker Online Payment System button to begin the enrollment process.  You will need the following account-specific information to start the enrollment process:  Account number: 325612    Zip code:  90017

To ensure that your monthly payments continue to be processed automatically:

1.       Set up your User Profile

2.      Add your payment account details

3.      Select Auto Payment

For more information, contact the garage office at (413) 781-0847.

Where are Americans Headed for Summer Vacation?

 It would seem that Mickey is still quite the popular mouse to visit these days.  According to the American Society of Travel Agents survey, Orlando, Florida, remains the most popular US summer destination booked by travel agents for the seventh consecutive year!  Orlando came out on top with a 17.2 share of responses, followed by Las Vegas with 16 percent of the votes.

 Here are the top ten domestic travel picks:

1.      Orlando
2.      Las Vegas
3.      San Francisco
4.      Los Angeles
5.      Miami
6.      Honolulu
7.      San Diego
8.      Washington, DC
9.      Chicago
10.  New York City

Those traveling internationally chose London, with Rome coming in at a very close second place.  Paris and Cancun were third and fourth respectively.

"The fact that the top travel cities have remained the same for several years indicates that travelers are having their expectations met and beyond," according to Janice Webb, travel consultant and owner of Emerald City Travel at Tower Square.  "As travel agents, we can help to steer our clients to tried and true destinations, as well as help them to discover exciting new places to explore."

To find out more about the hottest vacation destinations, or to make business travel arrangements, contact Emerald City Travel at (413) 737-4361 or stop by their offices conveniently located on street level at Tower Square down the hall from Champions restaurant.