A mysterious new business has popped up on Gloucester’s Main Street and piqued the community’s curiosity as it prepares to open its doors. For a while, the only source of information available was a Facebook page with the words “Coming Soon.”
Business partners Gail White and Ray Weiland came together to open a new and unique local business, the Cereal Plug. White is the owner of Sinfully Good by Fluffy Ninja, a catering and bakery business, and Ray Weiland, a disabled veteran, is the owner of Creative Laser LLC, a laser engraving business.
Wanting to create some excitement, the two decided to have some fun and let the community try to guess the establishment’s name and what they would be offering. For a while, a Facebook page “Coming Soon” was the community’s only source for information, offering teasers and clues of what might be on the menu, along with updates on the building’s renovation progress.
The morning of Sunday, March 23, a scavenger hunt took place along Main Street to reveal the business’s secretive details early to a lucky few. The owners posted to the Facebook page that 14 laser-engraved wooden coins with the official name and address were dropped along Main Street. Participants combed Main Street to be some of the first to find out about the new, mysterious business.
Later that day, White and Weiland introduced Gloucester to The Cereal Plug, a cereal bar geared to stay open long hours and offer a place of community and connection, and Pluggy, the company’s logo and mascot.
The Cereal Plug offers an array of cereal types and toppings, with cartons of milk. Bowls of ice cream will also be offered with different topping choices, including cereal. Sugar-free and lactose-free options will be available, with plans to offer more in the future. The business will be open 24 hours on Fridays and Saturdays, 12:01 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Sundays, and 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
White stated that the hope for The Cereal Plug’s longer hours is that anyone working late, early, or overnight shifts, or in need of a late night/early morning pick-me-up, will have somewhere to go. White also noted that the establishment will have daily military, senior, and first responder discounts.
White and Weiland said they hope that The Cereal Plug can help to bring even more business to Gloucester Main Street. They hope to host events that will encourage patrons to shop at businesses along Main, and hope to work with other owners who would like to do something similar. Events like weekly sensory hour, Cops With Cones, and lock-in movie nights are in the works, once opened.
The Cereal Plug released a statement to their Facebook page Monday morning, following the scavenger hunt, to show their appreciation for the support they received and explain that they hope to be a favorite, inexpensive place to hang out, have fun, and eat some good, easy, inexpensive food.
The grand opening is scheduled 6 p.m. today, Thursday, April 3, at 6604 Main Street. Additional information and updates can be found on the business’s Facebook page, The Cereal Plug.