On Nov. 24, with little fanfare, the Meadowbrook Mall’s main facility welcomed its first main building sit-down, full-service restaurant in nearly four years. The Weekend Bistro & Bar, which is a locally owned establishment, began operations that day.

The mall, which has a food court, has not had the full-service restaurant option since Garfield’s closed on Jan. 30, 2022.

Steve and Eva Kaczmarek, along with their daughter Anne

liese Kaczmarek, are the owners and operators of the eatery. The family signed the lease agreement in October with Cafaro Company, the owners of Meadowbrook Mall.

If the name sounds familiar, it should. Currently, the family operates Kaz’s Barbeque, which is situated on Main Street in Bridgeport, just below Twin Oaks on the opposite side of Route 50. And it should be noted that Kaz’s Barbeque is staying in place.

Prior to that, the family operated another full-service establishment that featured a full menu and a full-service bar. They were the owners and operators of Sweet Tee’s, which was first open in the Sunny Croft Country Club before relocating to the Clarksburg Country Club for several years.

The business will operate during standard Meadowbrook Mall hours, which is seven days a week. However, there will be extended hours on weekends. There will also be a brunch menu throughout the day and a dinner-style menu in the evening and a Sunday breakfast. Anneliese emphasized that all food items, including brunch items, are available all day.

Please note that exterior signage has not yet been installed. The outline of the former Garfield’s sign is still in place, but The Weekend is open for business.

Click HERE for the story on the business that ran Oct. 20 on Connect-Bridgeport.