Bring On the Frozen Yogurt

Swampscott and Marblehead

The owner of Swizzles frozen yogurt says the shop is about two weeks away from opening.

Owner Adam Kessner he won't know for sure about the grand opening for about 10 days. Around the first week of August. 

"We are hoping to open on Sat. Aug. 4th," he said on Wednesday.

The shop is located next to Petco at the Vinnin Square mall.

Construction began in May.

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The former home of Fruit of the Four Seasons on Atlantic Avenue has undergone a facelift in recent weeks. Charles Patsios, a representative of of Stone River LLC, said a investing group didn't rehabilitate the interior of the building with a specific business or type of business in mind but simply "did it the right way."

"Sometimes (investors) will just try to get a remediation project like this done as quickly as possible," Patsios said. "We got in there and knew we wanted to get it done right."

Although he said Stone River is currently accepting offers from a variety of prospective businesses, Patsios, of Swampscott, said he thinks the location would be perfect for a healthy Mediterranean restaurant.

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In addition to a  and retail establishment,  is expected to be home to a cafe that will sell breakfast, dessert and sweets, the building's co-designer said Tuesday night. 

The plan for the cafe was revealed during a Zoning Board of Appeals meeting at , where board members approved changes to the building's facade and narrowly shot down a request to add a 40-seat outdoor dining area.

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A request for an outdoor dining area adjacent to the  expected to open on the first floor of  sometime next year was narrowly shot down by the Zoning Board of Appeals.

The meeting drew a small crowd of abutting residents and business owners to the Selectmen's Meeting Room of , many of whom were on hand to speak out against the proposed 40-seat outdoor dining area because they feared it would mean loud nights and limited parking.

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Bracamontes said he and his brother, Jose Bracamontes, will meet with the town's Health Inspector today and will open for business early next week if everything checks out.

Jose Bracamontes spent five years working as a chef at Mexico Lindo in Melrose and the pair said they expect Marblehead's lack of an authentic Mexican restaurant will mean big business.

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The Board of Selectmen unanimously approved the transfer of three  licenses to new owner Jason Rakauskas at their meeting. Appearing before the board at  Wednesday were Rakauskas, of Swampscott, his lawyer, John Keilty, of Peabody, and former owner and Swampscott resident Patty Johnson.

Keilty provided the board with signed checks for the restaurant's liquor license, entertainment license and Sunday entertainment license and said patrons shouldn't expect any sweeping changes.

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It has been little more than a year since an electrical fire forced the owners of 5 Corners Kitchen and Terry's Ice Cream Shop to close their doors and now both businesses are eyeing the finish line.

On the anniversary of the two-alarm fire, which fire investigators later determined originated in the ceiling of Terry's Ice Cream Shop, a post appeared on the 5 Corners Kitchen Facebook page letting customers know that their reconstruction effort was nearly complete.

"Our wonderful 5 corners family, our staff, is returning home next week to refresh their palettes with the new delicious menu and amazing wine list," The post read. "We will be opening the week of July 23rd." 

Reservations for the restaurant's big reopening, which are expected to go very quickly, are not yet being accepted, according to the post.

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Yannalfo's Ristorante owner Brett Yannalfo was hard at work on a recent afternoon, putting the finishing touches on the new Italian restaurant he hopes to have open later this summer.

Yannalfo's will open in former home of Pellino's Ristorante, located at 261 Washington St.

Although Yannalfo, 43, of Andover, said his professional background has been rooted in "the corporate world," he has always dreamed of opening a restaurant of his own.

SALEM

People are barking up a storm in Salem after a decision by City of Salem Health Agent Larry Ramdin to suddenly enforce this law banning dogs from outdoor restaurant patios.

For the last 15 years, more than a few Salem restaurants have become known for their hospitality to local dog owners and their pets. Outdoor patios offer water, biscuits and, in one case, even a small doggy menu. Sunny weekend days bring these folks and their animals out in great numbers. 

This month, Contributor William Legault weighed in on the Health Department's recent decision to start paying closer attention to Massachusetts General Law Chapter 272, Section 98A.

Legault reported the health agent said there have been complaints about man and beast on the same patios, and enforcement may jeopardize the time pups and owners spend together at local restaurants.

The Votto family, which owns Brodie's Pub in Peabody Square, is planning to open another establishment at 215 Derby St. in Salem — the current location of the Seaport Cafe.

The Salem Licensing Board approved an application and a pledge for the transfer of an annual beer and wine license. Word is the restaurant in Salem will also be called Brodies and will likely have an ice cream window on the Derby Street side of the building.