The New Retail Thread

cjbski said:
Updated Seaport retail openings as of 11/7/17:

NOT SURE:
Bartaco (Fort Point)
ShowPlace Icon Movie Theater (est. Dec)
Filson (build out barely started)
L.L. Bean (build out 25% done)
Luke's Lobster (build out mostly done)
75 on Courthouse Square (vinyl signage added, build out in progress)
Warby Parker
Hopsters (est. Nov-Dec)
The Smoke Shop (former Tavern Road space in Fort Point)
Trillium Brewery + Restaurant (Late 2018)
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Same smoke shop as one Kendall?
Seems silly if so.
 
JumboBuc said:
What appears to be a Caffe Nero (I snuck a peak at the construction documents inside) is currently being fitted out in the Fenway Triangle building between Sweet Cheeks and Tiger Mama on Boylston. Possibly timed to open right when move-ins start at the Pierce next door?

This will be in the same building as one Starbucks (on the Brookline Ave side), directly across Boylston from a second Starbucks (in Star Market), and directly across Kilmarnock from a third Starbucks (in Target). And it's also kitty-corner from a brand new Tatte (across Boylston and Kilmarnock in the Harlo). But, somehow, this area of the Fenway (bounded by the Fens, Park Drive, Beacon, and the Pike) has zero Dunks. Is this even Boston? (There was one DD in the Gulf station but that closed. There are also some in Fenway Park itself but those aren't public / don't count.)
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Dunks seems to have fallen out of favor for a while now, which is fine by me. It's like the McD's of coffee. I'm also glad there are other chains besides Starbucks everywhere, although Nero's is also starting to over saturate certain areas.
 
There's a distinct difference in the downtown dwellers tastes vs suburbanites tastes. DD is disappearing and the gourmet coffee shops are thriving. Also any unhealthy fast food is disappearing and healthy options are flourishing. Its pretty annoying when I'm hankering for greasy food from some random chain.
 
Suffolk 83 said:
There's a distinct difference in the downtown dwellers tastes vs suburbanites tastes. DD is disappearing and the gourmet coffee shops are thriving. Also any unhealthy fast food is disappearing and healthy options are flourishing. Its pretty annoying when I'm hankering for greasy food from some random chain.
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Places like Nero are definitely growing like crazy, but is DD actually "disappearing"? I'd buy DD "not growing" but that's probably because it's already reached full saturation in our city (the Fenway notwithstanding).

I'd also believe that there's a landlord preference for places like Nero over DD in certain neighborhoods. A landlord marketing a "luxury" residential building isn't going to want a DD on the ground floor. They are going to want a Nero. This is likely true even if DD and Nero are willing to pay the same in rent, or even if DD is willing to pay a bit more. I understand that the DD in the Gulf station was busy until the building around it was sold, so DD probably isn't missing from the Fenway for lack of demand from customers.

Meanwhile, new residential buildings in Dudley Square advertise "storefront retail anchored by Dunkin Donuts".
 
Glad to hear they're filling in that space between Sweet Cheek and Tiger Mama. I think Citibank used to be there?

I'm a little concerned that they still haven't filled out all of the space in 1325 (under Target)....
 
cjbski said:
Glad to hear they're filling in that space between Sweet Cheek and Tiger Mama. I think Citibank used to be there?

I'm a little concerned that they still haven't filled out all of the space in 1325 (under Target)....
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The Nero is going in where FedEx Office used to be. Webster Bank is in the old Citibank space; they took over most of Citi's Greater Boston branches when Citi pulled out of the region.

With respect to the Target building, Samuels is in no rush to fill out his retail spaces. He's shown that he's happy holding out for the exact tenants he wants. We talked about this a bit over in the thread for The Pierce. While Samuels has kept a half-dozen spaces in his buildings along Boylston vacant for years, Skanska's three spaces in the Harlo were all spoken for before the building even got its certificate of occupancy. The fact that Skanska landed them so quickly suggests that there are plenty of tenants who want to move in along that stretch, and also that Samuels' terms must be tougher than Skanska's.
 
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JumboBuc said:
Places like Nero are definitely growing like crazy, but is DD actually "disappearing"? I'd buy DD "not growing" but that's probably because it's already reached full saturation in our city (the Fenway notwithstanding).
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There are 2 dunkin donuts in the seaport. Not as saturated as other parts of the city but still.

Suffolk 83 said:
There's a distinct difference in the downtown dwellers tastes vs suburbanites tastes. DD is disappearing and the gourmet coffee shops are thriving. Also any unhealthy fast food is disappearing and healthy options are flourishing. Its pretty annoying when I'm hankering for greasy food from some random chain.
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I mean you still can get greasy fast food at Shake Shack, Tasty Burger, ETC. Chains like that are expanding in this area.
 
tysmith95 said:
I mean you still can get greasy fast food at Shake Shack, Tasty Burger, ETC. Chains like that are expanding in this area.
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I know they serve burgers and fries but I wouldn't call Shake Shack "fast food." I have eaten at the Chestnut Hill location approximately 10 times since it opened and on average it has taken about 13 minutes from the time I order at the counter to the time my buzzer goes off. I have had more than one time where it took 20 minutes for my food to be ready. The place never seems packed but yet the food takes such a long time. Are the other Boston area locations any faster?
 
BosDevelop said:
I know they serve burgers and fries but I wouldn't call Shake Shack "fast food." I have eaten at the Chestnut Hill location approximately 10 times since it opened and on average it has taken about 13 minutes from the time I order at the counter to the time my buzzer goes off. I have had more than one time where it took 20 minutes for my food to be ready. The place never seems packed but yet the food takes such a long time. Are the other Boston area locations any faster?
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Not calling BS since I think your point is valid, but I find it humorous that you've timed 10+ orders from Shake Shack to get that.

My personal anecdotes clock in at the ~10 minute range for Shake Shack and Tasty Burger (take out) but I've never explicitly timed it. That being said I'd much rather wait a bit longer to get decent food than eat McD's or Dunkin with a 3-5 minute wait.
 
Those are all fast casual restaurants, not fast food.
 
Prudential Retail Update:

Seaport - Now Open:
  • Bank of America
  • Tuscan Kitchen
  • LuLu Lemon
  • Luke's Lobster

Seaport - new, not previously announced:

Also noticed the Fort Point Arts space is finally open in the Envoy Hotel
 
Hard to believe that Eddie V's will be successful in that hidden / back-side P.F. Chang's space when you have Del Frisco's going in right on Boylston + Abe & Louie's already there.
 
FenwayResident said:
Not calling BS since I think your point is valid, but I find it humorous that you've timed 10+ orders from Shake Shack to get that.

My personal anecdotes clock in at the ~10 minute range for Shake Shack and Tasty Burger (take out) but I've never explicitly timed it. That being said I'd much rather wait a bit longer to get decent food than eat McD's or Dunkin with a 3-5 minute wait.
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I don't time anything. The exact time I order is printed right there on my receipt. It's not hard to do the math when I've been sitting there waiting. I don't bust out a stop watch/timer and time them or anything. But I noticed it the first couple of times I went when it wasn't crowded and thought they just were slow due to recently opening. I've never received my food there in less than 10 minutes. I live around the corner and there aren't too many options for non-McDonalds "quick" burgers in the immediate area (nod to Flippin' Burgers in Newton Centre).
 
cjbski said:
Hard to believe that Eddie V's will be successful in that hidden / back-side P.F. Chang's space when you have Del Frisco's going in right on Boylston + Abe & Louie's already there.
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Don't forget that a new Four Seasons Hotel + Residences will be practically across the street from it in a couple years.
 
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