Scott Capano says he's not a superstitious person, but when he found an available commercial building in a great location at a terrific price with the identical street number of the business he wants to duplicate, well, he just couldn't pass up the opportunity to buy and renovate it.

The Harp & Dragon is coming to 130 Bank St., New London, a Whaling City version of the Rose City's Harp & Dragon at 130 Main St., in Norwich.

Capano, a son of the ShopRite Campano family supermarket chain, literally gushes when he talks about the opportunity to repeat the family's successful Irish pub in New London. The Norwich version, open five years now, has gotten great reviews and is so popular that the Campanos are doubling its size.

But New London, where the family already operates one of its grocery stores at 351 North Frontage Road, is a completely new venture. By the time they secure all the necessary permits and complete the work, Capano says his family will have invested about $750,000 in the historic property at 130 Bank St.

They bought the circa-1800 structure in March and are requesting approvals to roughly double its size, including an extensive outdoor, covered patio. The building built by Joshua Starr is on the east side of Bank Street, between Waterhouse Salon and Book-A-Zine, and Capano says it offers a great view of the Thames River.

But the location alone did not entice Capano; it was the opportunity.

"I can feel the synergy in New London, and we're very excited to be a part of it," he says. "Hopefully the quality of what we do will add to what is going on down there."

Norwich's Harp & Dragon is an Irish pub with more than 30 beers on tap and a fully stocked bar including high-end scotch and whiskey, but as will be the case in New London, the focus is all about food, not booze, says Capano.

"We're not like other pubs, we sell as much food and more than beer and liquor. We try to deliver exceptional product and service," he says. "And we look at New London like a Newport; a great place to open a restaurant. There's a synergy of people going out there, an active nightlife."

Did you hear that? He sees similarities between New London and Newport, R.I. All the New London naysayers need to come downtown and see what's happening on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights now. It's a bustling, happy place. Parking is at a premium. And there are all kinds of great eats and entertainment.

The Capanos see the possibilities and they're making a substantial investment to be a part of it. In the process they're resurrecting a historic building, the Capt. John Deshon House, once owned by a member of a prominent whaling family.

The property has had myriad uses over the past 200 years, and for a time the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Co. owned it. Now it's going through a new reincarnation.

So is downtown New London. There are blighted and vacant buildings. But there are more and more bright spots, with regular entertainment, good restaurants, galleries, performances, and boutique shops. Music venues have coordinated schedules so they don't drown one another out, or overlap, and there are considerations about noise and other issues that affect residents who live downtown.

"A good pub serving good food would be an asset to Bank Street," says Sandra Chalk, executive director of New London Landmarks, who has researched the history of 130 Bank St.

"Downtown is a dining destination, so of course they want to be here," says Penny Parsekian, chief executive officer of New London Main Street, about the Capanos.

And Frank McLaughlin, New London's downtown investment coordinator, is equally excited.

"They run a great grocery store, and I've heard great things about the Harp & Dragon. ... I'm very pleased. It's a great addition to downtown," he says.

New London's good luck number might just be 130 now.

Ann Baldelli is associate editorial page editor.