Hundreds enjoy first APEX restaurant tasting event

By Dakota Antelman, Contributing Writer

Marlborough – The APEX Center in Marlborough was abuzz as city officials, local business owners, and area residents alike flocked to the first APEX Center Restaurant Tasting” June 27. As the event came together, organizers thanked the small army of volunteers and businesses themselves that made it possible.

The event, dubbed “Pace Yourself,” offered attendees the opportunity to buy $20 punch cards that, in turn, allowed them to taste food from each of the 11 restaurants in the sprawling APEX complex. It also featured several musical acts scattered on patios and sidewalks throughout the area and boasted door prizes to ticket buyers.

“It’s great to see the turnout,” said APEX Entertainment Center Assistant Manager Joey Slawinski. “It’s just a great opportunity to get our name out there. With Marlborough being so big, it’s nice to see what we can offer them as well.”

As organizers primarily from the Marlborough Chamber of Commerce lavished praise on the APEX center itself for hosting the event, they also frequently noted the contributions volunteers made throughout the planning process.

“It’s amazing how many volunteers have spent many, many hours to put this together,” said President and CEO of Marlborough Regional Chamber of Commerce (MRCC) Susanne Morreale-Leeber. “The staff has done some of the background work putting this together, but I have to say the volunteers here are the key to this event.”

Ultimately, as those volunteers registered attendees and directed them to the tables of smiling employees of APEX Center restaurants, organizers were most thankful to the community as a whole for its support of the APEX Center since its opening and its involvement in the economic boom APEX helped bring to the city.

“It’s a booming place to be and a great place of live work and play,” said MRCC Board of Directors Chair Mary Jo Nawrocki.

Participating restaurants included: Pit Stop Tavern, Chick-fil-A, Starbucks, Wendy’s, Evviva Cucina, Hot Table Panini, Protein House, Hyatt Place, Friendly’s, Qdoba, 110 Grill, and Okami Hibachi & Sushi.

Sponsors included: Community Advocate (Media); Main Street Bank (Entertainment); Catherine Dressel/New York Life (Entertainment); Atlas Travel; Avidia Bank; BB Writes; Digital Federal Credit Union; Fairfield Inn & Suites; IC Federal Credit Union; MRCC; and St. Mary’s Credit Union.

(Video by/Dakota Antelman)