SALEM, N.H. — Two redevelopment projects, one bringing a new quick-service restaurant to South Broadway and another converting a former pharmacy into a day care on Main Street, moved forward last week after receiving conditional approval from planners.
On March 23, the board reviewed and approved a site plan submitted by HDR Holdings for a new 4,000-square-foot “food hall” concept called Wonder, at 125 South Broadway.
The space is part of a larger 28,551-square-foot commercial plaza that includes tenants such as Barnes & Noble, Supercuts, Wrap City and Findeisen’s Ice Cream. The proposed restaurant would occupy a portion of the former Top Fitness.
Founded by entrepreneur Marc Lore — former CEO of Walmart e-commerce — the company operates physical locations across the Northeast where a single kitchen prepares food from dozens of distinct menus.
Project engineer David Jordan of Greenman-Pedersen described the concept as a quick-service, primarily takeout and delivery-based operation that partners with nationally recognized chefs and restaurant brands. Through proprietary preparation techniques, the company recreates menu items from a range of cuisines, offering customers a diverse selection from a single location.
Jordan said the restaurant is designed to support high-volume off-premises dining with approximately 60% of orders expected to be delivered, and most of the remaining 40% consisting of customer pickup. Only a small fraction, about 5%, of patrons are expected to dine on-site.
To reflect that model, only about 800-square-feet of the space will be dedicated to front-of-house operations, including a 17-seat finding area, waiting space, and pick up shelving. The remaining area will be used for food preparation, with some items partially prepared off-site and finished on location.
The restaurant is expected to employ up to 13 workers during peak dinner hours, with staffing reduced to around six or seven employees during lunch service. Proposed hours of operation are 10 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week.
No exterior changes to the building are planned, though the applicant did request a parking variance to reflect the reduced need for on-site dining.
Board members discussed the limited seating capacity, with Town Planner Jacob Lafontaine noting that additional seating could be proposed if desired. The applicant declined, emphasizing that the concept is not designed for traditional dine-in service.
The board ultimately granted conditional approval for the project, allowing it to proceed with the requested parking variance and operational plan.
Wonder recently opened stores in Newton, Needham, Canton, Watertown, Framingham, Natick and Tyngsborough. A North Andover restaurant is being promoted for a May opening on the company website.
Day care in old Rite Aid building
The board continued a public hearing on a proposal by Wellco Learning to convert the former Rite Aid building at 142 Main St. into an 11,000-square-foot day care facility. The project, owned by Kerry and Jeff Welton, could operate as a Goddard school, serving up to 142 students with approximately 30 staff members.
The proposal was continued from February due to concerns about traffic congestion and on-site circulation, particularly during peak drop-off and pick-up hours.
Since that time, representatives for the project presented a series of revisions aimed at addressing those concerns.
Project engineer Ian Ainslie outlined significant changes to the site’s traffic design, including reconfiguring access points and internal circulation patterns. The original plan included three full-access curb cuts allowing two-way traffic while the revised design converts two of those into one-way access points, with one entrance and one exit, while maintaining the existing traffic flow pattern.
Additionally, the drop-off area in the front of the building was redesigned into a one-way, “conveyor-belt”-style system, with angled parking to reinforce traffic direction and improve efficiency. A previous dead-end near the proposed playground was also eliminated to add for smoother circulation.
Ainslie said the team also developed a traffic management plan that will be distributed to parents upon enrollment, detailing site navigation, designated drop-off locations and traffic expectations to ensure long-term compliance.
The project team also referenced an updated traffic study dated March 11, which concluded that the day care would not significantly impact traffic operations in the surrounding area.
Despite the revisions, some concerns persisted. Board member Paul Pelletier raised objections to the placement of the playground at the front of the building.
“I’m against putting a playground in the front of the building in case of a runaway vehicle,” he said. “There isn’t a barricade around that will stop a vehicle from barging into a playground there.”
Following discussion, the board granted conditional approval, allowing the project to move forward while requiring further review of outstanding concerns.