At a recent meeting, Milford City Councilwoman Nina Pletcher questioned Economic Development and Community Engagement Director Lauren Swain about recent vacancies in downtown Milford. At least three businesses have closed on Walnut Street in the past few months.
“One business moved to Arizona, that was a boutique-style business,” Swain stated. “The other has been vacant for almost two years now.”
The Collective, which opened in June 2025, abruptly closed their Milford location this summer. The owners announced a new venture in Arizona which required them to relocate across the country. The storefront that has been vacant for two years was the former location of Petite Sweets and then Nancy’s Café. It is currently for sale.
“And what about the other two businesses,” Pletcher asked. “The Meadery and the candy store?”
Swain explained that she believed both of those businesses closed due to the economy.
“To our loyal customers, two and a half years ago, we opened our doors with a simple mission: craft exceptional mead, build a vibrant customer base, and share our love of this brew,” WTF Meadery posted on social media in August. “Thanks to your loyal patronage, our current space has served us well, but we’ve officially outgrown it. To keep up with demand and bring you a true destination experience, we are closing our current taproom location effective September 19 as we prepare to move into a larger facility.”
David and Jenifer Wade, owners of the meadery, stated that they had not identified the new location, but were seeking a place with a larger taproom, outdoor seating, increased brewing capacity and space for on-site food trucks. A post on September 19 stated that the meadery was closing early as they had “sold out of everything.” They promised to keep their fans informed of the new location as soon as it was identified.
Stewart’s Gourmet Candies and Snow Cones also announced that they would be closing their doors last month.
“After a lot of thought and consideration, I’ve made the difficult decision to close Stewart’s Candy Shop,” Melissa Stewart posted on social media. “This little candy shop has been such a special part of my life and I’m incredibly grateful for every single person who walked through our doors, purchased our candy, shared a post, recommended us to a friend or simply cheered us on.”
The final day open for Stewart’s was September 19 as well.
