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I was sad and surprised to hear that Cafe Aiello has closed its doors. They always seemed to do a good business, despite a somewhat awkward location and limited parking. This ranks right up there with the loss of Capo’s from the downtown music scene, but the formula for success in the restaurant business is difficult to distill: is it business smarts, marketing skills, consistency, convenience or some combination of these? Aiello had a good product and great ambience, but obviously something was lacking. In the meantime, some new daring souls hung out their signs and opened doors for the festival weekend. Ole, a Spanish tapas restaurant is still waiting on their liquor license, but they were proactive in holding an open house during the festival with free Paella tastings. The location, right on Merrimack Street, is a good one, and the interior is beautifully decorated with rich colors, leather banquettes and an authentic looking suit of Spanish armor in the entrance way. They are hoping to open officially by the middle of August. Another new venture, C’est, next to the Welles Emporium, got their business permit on Friday at 3:00 pm and opened their doors by 4:00 pm. They have a unique model as a flower shop with interesting foods to go – cheeses, breads, pates, etc., all supplied by local establishments. They will be offering “fun” wines as well. Good luck to both of these businesses!