Mystic — The microbrewery that couldn’t get approval in Stonington is moving into 12 Water St., joining other food-related businesses that have recently expanded, opened or submitted plans to open on the Groton side of the river.

“We’re starting to see more of these food, restaurant industries opening up in Mystic,” said Jonathan Reiner, Groton’s director of planning and development services. “It’s a really positive thing for the village.”

Water Street in particular is evolving into a cluster of dining establishments, with growing foot traffic in the evenings, boosted by the success of the Oyster Club, Pizzetta and, more recently, Sift Bake Shop.

“Pizzetta, which has always been cool, in the past year, they redid their whole downstairs,” said Andrew Rodgers, who recently leased a basement space in Factory Square at 12 Water St. for his microbrewery. “You would think, ‘Another pizza place? How’s that going to do?’ But it’s killing it.”

Sift Bake Shop opened at 5 Water St. in May. The Groton Zoning Commission had a public hearing scheduled Wednesday about a special permit application for a breakfast and lunch spot called “Rise” at 10 Water St. Applicant Melody Pere hopes to convert 750 square feet of retail into a restaurant with a seating area of up to 200 square feet.

The Oyster Club at 13 Water St. enclosed one of its porches in May to create extra inside seating. Pizzetta, at 7 Water St., put on an addition last year. The Mystic Museum of Art, which bought the Emporium building at 15 Water St. in 2013, leased space to Frizzante Champagne and Wine Bar less than two years ago.

“It’s really starting to get interesting down Water Street,” said Deborah Jones, assistant director of planning and development.

Rodgers, the brewer at Cottrell in Pawcatuck, initially planned on opening a microbrewery in the Mystic Junction building at 40-44 Washington St., but the Stonington Zoning Board of Appeals denied his request for a variance.The brewery was granted a special permit from the Groton Zoning Commission on June 1.

He now plans to open a microbrewery with a two-barrel brewing system, seating for about 15 people and room for about 25 altogether in the basement space he leased in Factory Square.

“It’ll be cozy,” he said. He’ll remodel while he waits for his federal permit as an alcohol manufacturer. If all goes well, he hopes to open by early 2017. He planned to name the business “Below Decks Brewery,” but someone else is using the name, so he’s deciding on a new one.

“I just love Water Street is what it comes down to,” Rodgers said. “And it’s so happening right now.”

On West Main Street, Mystic Drawbridge Ice Cream plans to move its sandwich and deli business — now part of the ice cream shop at 2 W. Main St. — into a separate storefront at 24 W. Main St.

“We’ve basically outgrown our spot,” said Cheryl Robdau, owner of Mystic Drawbridge Ice Cream. “We’ve outgrown it for the past two summers, the deli portion. We started the deli portion because there were so many people coming in who didn’t want to go a restaurant. They just wanted to get a quick bite.”

The deli portion of the business increased 30 percent in the last year, she said. At the end of May, Robdau bought the building at 24 W. Main, which housed a former clothing store. She hopes to open the deli business there by the end of the summer.

“We may expand and also serve breakfast," she said. "It’s going to be two stories. It’s going to be a self-service. You’ll order your food, you’ll get a placard and if you’re sitting upstairs we’ll bring you your food. It’s going to be very casual.”

Robdau sees out-of-town visitors, but also an increase in young, local customers who have rented apartments in downtown Mystic and now live there.  “There’s a lot of young professionals who don’t have children and they eat out several times a week, and Mystic accommodates their lifestyle,” she said.

“It's delightful,” said Hillary Jackson of Wilton, who walked with her children down Water Street toward a candy shop on West Main Street. She's enjoyed seeing an expansion of Pizzetta and the opening of Sift, she said. “It brought us more in this direction,” she said.

Susan Mackie of Niantic said new businesses give diners options; if one restaurant has a wait, people can try another. “I don’t think they’re in competition because there’s enough room” for growth, she said.

Marceline Macrino of New London made a similar comment while walking on Water Street Tuesday. “People have been gravitating to this area, now more than ever,” she said.

“I know that over the winter there was a lot of concern by some of the downtown merchants about vacant storefronts,” Reiner said. “Well, they’re just about all filled up now.”

d.straszheim@theday.com