An old garden center at 999 Farmington Ave. has been transformed into the elegant Farmington Gardens, a new banquet facility that represents one of the town’s newest developments.
Phillip Chabot, general manager of Farmington Gardens, which opened for business in July, is hoping to capitalize on the bustling community of affluent residents and commuting professionals.
“We have a lot of interest,” Chabot said. “We’re starting to book events for this year and next year.”
Chabot said he saw a need for another banquet facility in the Farmington area.
“After going to a lot of weddings myself, I thought there was definitely a need for more (banquet) space,” he said. “People are booking out two years in advance (because of a lack of options).”
The location of the space caught his eye as well. “I thought the space was a good property,” Chabot said. “Its location, close to 84, offers easy-off, easy-on type of access, and it’s a nice community.”
Because the building was a former garden center, it needed major renovations. New electrical wiring, HVAC, plumbing, and a sprinkler system were installed.
Chabot said town officials were easy to work with. The town’s building department kept communication open and tried to make things as simple as possible. He said the fire marshal suggested a less expensive way for the building to meet fire code, by drilling through plywood instead of concrete.
“The fire marshal went out of his way to tell me how I could save myself some money,” he said.
Chabot said the town’s building inspector responded quickly when he needed things checked out, and the Planning and Zoning Commission was easy to work with.
“They liked the project and the redevelopment of the building,” he said. “They were able to see the big picture.”
Chabot said P&Z officials eventually agreed that an on-duty police officer stationed on site during large events would be sufficient, rather than the original suggestion of an installed traffic light.
Jeff Ollendorf, Farmington town planner, said Chabot and his team met with the town informally several times before the plan even went to the P&Z Commission.
“It’s very helpful when an applicant of that size brings with him a good professional team that he’s hired; it made our work easier,” Ollendorf said. “We told him what we’d be looking for in terms of traffic, storm drainage… To his credit, he let the reigns go and told his team to put that information together for the town, and from there, it was a very smooth process.”
Farmington Gardens will focus on weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs and corporate events, cocktail hours and “meet and greets.” Chabot said he is also hoping to tap into the weekly or monthly meeting market with The Rotary Club, the Lions Club and similar organizations.
Chabot said his menu, with various food options and price points, can be customized for any group. “I’ve been able to meet the needs of all groups,” he said. “We can do breakfasts, to simple sandwiches, to five-course meals.”
Farmington Gardens can seat 340 people in the main dining room, plus another 130 in the greenhouse room.
Chabot, who has a mechanical engineering background, has never run a banquet hall, but he said his family has the blend of skills needed. His sister, Katrina Chabot, is trained in the culinary arts and runs the kitchen. His brothers help with the bar and the financials.
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