Chestnut Market Celebrates Grand Opening in Old Lyme

Celebrating the ribbon-cutting at Chestnut Market are, from left to right, Jim Ward, President, Lyme Old Lyme Food Share Garden; Alvaro Sari*, Territory Manager, Hesham Attia*, Territory Manager, Farris Jamal*, Merchandising Manager, Faheem Jamal*, Director of Operations; Scott Parker*, Director of Facilities; Martha Shoemaker, First Selectwoman, Town of Old Lyme; CT State Representative Devin Carney (R-23rd); Menent Oral*,Territory Manager; Jonathan Pintado*, Store Manager, Cheryl Poirier, Chairwoman, Old Lyme Economic Development Commission; Jude Read, Selectwoman, Town of Old Lyme; Abigail Cerra*, Loyalty Marketing Manager, and Mohammed Hossain*, Director of Purchasing. * denotes an individual employed by Chestnut Market. All photos by Doris Coleman.

Company Highlights its Commitment to Local Communities

OLD LYME, CT — As part of a grand opening celebration, Chestnut Market recently presented the Lyme-Old Lyme Food Share Garden (LOLFSG) with a $1250 donation and participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Town of Old Lyme representatives.

The grand opening celebration took place on Friday, Oct. 18, and included a raffle, free giveaways, and a festive environment for customers who stopped by the 85 Halls Rd. location.

The exterior of Chestnut Market at 85 Halls Rd. in Old Lyme.

Chestnut Market is headquartered in New York and recently expanded into Connecticut, with Old Lyme being one of 11 Connecticut locations. The store stocks a number of “grab and go” breakfast and lunch items as well as snacks and beverages. Bags of ice are available for sale inside the store. Chestnut Market accommodated the needs of the Town of Old Lyme by closing its Halls Road location at midnight; many of its other locations are open 24/7.

Chestnut Market’s Director of Operations, Faheem Jamal, stated,: “We’re excited to expand our Connecticut footprint with this location in Old Lyme. With clean, well-maintained restrooms and an emphasis on excellent customer service, we ensure every stop is a pleasant one.” He continued, “Our extensive foodservice program features hot, delicious options for every part of the day and our coffee is served fresh every time with our bean-to-cup program. Add in the Mobil-branded fuel, and we’re proud to offer a top-notch experience from start to finish.”

The interior of of Chestnut Market at 85 Halls Rd. in Old Lyme.

A ribbon-cutting was held at 1 p.m. that included local representatives including State Representative Devin Carney, Old Lyme First Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker, Selectwoman Jude Read, and Economic Development Chair Cheryl Poirier. In presenting Chestnut Market a Certificate of Appreciation for its investment in Old Lyme, Poirier noted with the recent renovations and upgrades to the property, the number of employees has gone from two to nine and is expected to grow during the summer season.

Cheryl Poirier, Chairwoman, Old Lyme Economic Development Commission presented Faheem Jamal, Director of Operations at Chestnut Market with a Certificate of Appreciation for its investment in Old Lyme. Others attending the presentation were, from left to right, ScrHesham Attia*, Territory Manager, Scott Parker*, Director of Facilities; Farris Jamal*, Merchandising Manager; Martha Shoemaker, First Selectwoman, Town of Old Lyme; CT State Representative Devin Carney and Jude Read, Selectwoman, Town of Old Lyme. * denotes an individual employed by Chestnut Market.

As part of the grand opening, Chestnut Market presented its $1250 donation to the Lyme-Old Lyme Food Share Garden. An oversized check was on hand to be received by LOLFSG President Jim Ward and Board Member MyLan Sarner. Ward said, “We are honored to have been chosen by Chestnut Market for their community support. Their financial donation will be supporting five vegetable rows for the 2025 growing season. We look forward to their continued support.”

Faheem Jamal, Director of Operations at Chestnut Market presents a check for $1250 to Jim Ward, President, Lyme Old Lyme Food Share Garden. Also present were, from left to right, ScrHesham Attia*, Territory Manager: Martha Shoemaker, First Selectwoman, Town of Old Lyme; CT State Representative Devin Carney and MyLan Sarner, Board Member, Lyme Old Lyme Food Share Garden.To Ward’s right are Farris Jamal*, Merchandising Manager; Jonathan Pintado*, Store Manager; Mohammed Hossain*, Director of Purchasing; and (standing behind) Abigail Cerra, Loyalty Marketing Manager. * denotes an individual employed by Chestnut Market.

Chestnut Market is a family-owned convenience store chain operating 75 locations in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. The company states that its values, friendliness, cleanliness and safety attest to its commitment to make an impact in the communities it serves.

Chestnut Market notes that its stores are curated to meet the demands of local customers. It promotes the formation of strategic partnerships ranging from local collaborations to high-tech solutions and offers a wide selection of snacks, beverages and fresh food options.

Fuel brands across its locations include Exxon, Mobil, Shell and BP. The Old Lyme location carries the Mobil brand.