Connecticut East This Week - 19th November 2022 - Andrew Blacker and the Palmers Provisions building

Throughout the village, Noank’s streets are steeped in history. The newest occupant of the storefront at 17 Pearl St. not only has inherited a notable provenance, but it’s bringing Noank’s centuries-old history alive with many pieces and reminders of its past.

Serial entrepreneur Andrew Blacker, last seen bringing new life to Carson’s Store and serving as a brief body double for Chad Michael Murray in a 2021 Hallmark movie shot in Noank, in June opened Palmer’s Provisions & Pizza. The name honors Robert Palmer, whose shipyard on the Mystic River was one of the most prominent on the East Coast straddling the 19th and 20th centuries, employing more than 500 workers at its peak.

GROTON — Andrew Blacker, a 10-year resident of Noank and the owner of breakfast/lunch café Carson's Store, has put his unique stamp on another iconic village location with the opening in June of Palmer's Provisions and Pizza. The shop, located at 17 Pearl St. in the former location of the Universal Food Store, started slowly, serving only grinders in its first few weeks. On July 1, it started serving pizza and was in full swing. The Blacker family has owned the building since 1979 and has spent years trying to restore it to its natural state. Andrew Blacker started renting the Palmer's Provisions space during the pandemic with the intention of adding a prep kitchen for Carson’s, whose space is limited. Eventually, though, he realized the location's potential, and the business kept growing. Blacker said Palmer's really consists of three separate businesses: a pizza place, a grocery store and an event/meeting space. The pizza place is open for freshly made pizza from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Blacker hopes to expand these hours as business picks up…