Easton Town Center in 2023: Kona Grill returns, Pacas alpaca clothing arrives

Easton Town Center has had a number of changes in the last few months, including local favorites and several stores new to the Buckeye State.

Many of the newcomers to Easton are among the nearly 40 stores and restaurants that are "Ohio's only," which may be a trend for the shopping center following the openings of Amazon Style and Gucci last year.

In dining, Mexican eatery Dos Hermanos opened its first standalone restaurant in December, at 3946 Morse Crossing, and Weenie Wonder and Kona Grill are both expected to open soon. Weenie Wonder's will open its second location at 4117 Worth Ave. in February, while Kona Grill has returned to Easton at its original location, 4087 New Bond St., after closing in 2019.

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Guests visiting the shopping center may notice the former Bon Vie space, at 4089 The Strand E. is currently being renovated for a future tenant, which the center will announce at a later date.

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With that, here are five more stores new to Easton Town Center:

Garage

Trend-driven women's apparel retailer Garage opened in the former location of La Senza at 160 Easton Station, in the shopping center across from Amazon Style, in October.

The Canadian brand was launched in 1975 and currently has 185 stores across North America, including a second Central Ohio location at Polaris Fashion Place. The retailer sells casual clothing, outerwear and accessories, in addition to carrying brands like Calvin Klein and Juicy Couture.

Pacas

Jan 18, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA;  Socks are seen in a basket at Pacas, an apparel store specializing in garments made with Alpaca fibers, on Wednesday afternoon. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Scheller-The Columbus Dispatch
Jan 18, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Socks are seen in a basket at Pacas, an apparel store specializing in garments made with Alpaca fibers, on Wednesday afternoon. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Scheller-The Columbus Dispatch

Alpaca wool apparel company Pacas opened in October at Easton, next to Dr. Martens and across from Athleta at 4044 The Strand West. The location is the company's sole brick-and-mortar store.

The company launched in 2020 as an e-commerce store and chose Easton as its first storefront as it is one of the country's top shopping destinations, said regional director and store manager Jennifer Hamad. The brand sells socks, accessories and apparel for men, women and kids, including hats, scarves and sweaters as well as throw blankets. The apparel is made with alpaca fiber — said to be moisture-wicking, hypoallergenic and thermoregulation — sourced from Peru and produced in Peru and the United States.

The company seeks to support alpaca farming communities and also partners with children's hospitals to provide kids with socks during their stay.

Vow'd Weddings

Jan 18, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA;  The main show room of Vow’d Weddings is seen at the newly opened bridal store in Easton.  Mandatory Credit: Joseph Scheller-The Columbus Dispatch
Jan 18, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; The main show room of Vow’d Weddings is seen at the newly opened bridal store in Easton. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Scheller-The Columbus Dispatch

Vow'd Weddings opened in early November across from Easton Town Square, at 3938 Easton Square Place, and is the bridal apparel company's first brick-and-mortar in Ohio.

Vow'd is the sister store to women's apparel brand Altar'd State, which has a location at Polaris Fashion Place. The shop offers bridal gowns, bridesmaid dresses, shoes and accessories, which unlike other bridal stores take weeks to arrive, not months. Some gowns go up to size 24 and range from a few hundred dollars to $2,400, with most gowns less than $1,000.

Vow'd launched in June 2020 and now has eight locations, including in Tennessee, North Carolina, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Florida, but store leader Paige Fuson said Easton is the first of the company's new store designs. The maximalist decor features deep shades of pink and red, with giant mirrors, loveseats and private rooms for brides-to-be, their families and friends to try on dresses for the big day. The shop is available for free appointments and weekday walk-ins.

Freebird

Luxury handmade footwear brand Freebird opened in November, at 3976 Easton Station, in the shopping center next to Levis, as the Denver-based company's first location in Ohio. The store, sells men's and women's boots, booties, shoes, sandals and accessories made with hand-finished, full-grain leather.

The company, founded in 2009, has 14 locations, including in Colorado, Utah, Tennessee, South Carolina and Texas.

Clean Origin

Jan 18, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA;  Rose gold bridal rings are seen at Clean Origin, a new jewelry shop in Easton, which, according to their website, exclusively uses lab-grown diamonds, and uses recycled metals whenever possible. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Scheller-The Columbus Dispatch
Jan 18, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Rose gold bridal rings are seen at Clean Origin, a new jewelry shop in Easton, which, according to their website, exclusively uses lab-grown diamonds, and uses recycled metals whenever possible. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Scheller-The Columbus Dispatch

Ethical jewelry brand Clean Origin opened on Dec. 19 at 4054 The Strand West, next to Aveda and across from UpWest.

The company sells environmentally conscious — meaning conflict-free, eco-friendly and ethically sourced — lab-grown diamond jewelry, including rings, bracelets and necklaces. The certified diamonds are made with technology that reproduces the natural growing process.

Founded in 2017 by a third-generation jeweler, Clean Origin has seven locations in Texas and coming soon in California, Illinois and Virginia.

tmoorman@dispatch.com

@taijuanichole

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 8 stores and restaurants new or coming soon to Easton