The New Retail Thread

[bigpicture7]

From the recent Volpe project presentation--recent openings and soon-to-open retail establishments in MIT properties in Kendall Square. I'm excited to see Ripple opening a location in Kendall--their Ashmont location is nice!

Ah, just caught this here after I linked your post to the MIT Kendall Gateway thread. My apologies for the redundancy (but please pardon my excitement!)

 

[itchy]

Anyone happen to know when exactly Boqueria is opening in the Seaport? Have been to their NYC locations - amazing tapas.

Boqueria Seaport

boqueriarestaurant.com

 

[Justbuildit]

Windows are still papered up but there’s been work inside for awhile. Menu boards are visible outside and electrical for signage is visible but no signs up yet. There’s clear progress but no announcement yet on opening date. I’d put money on sometime over summer but that’s a guess at best.

 

[Justbuildit]

https://www.boston.gov/sites/default/files/file/2023/05/25thomson_presentationdrawing.pdf

window stickers up for review indicate it’s opening this summer.

 

[mass88]

Board OKs kabobs and wraps until 3 a.m. on Tremont Street downtown

The Boston Licensing Board today approved a request by Black Seed to extend its closing time from 2:30 a.m. to 3 a.m. in its new location one door down from its old one on Tremont Street in Downtown Crossing. Read more.

www.universalhub.com

This really isn't anything noteworthy, however, I do find this comment unfortunate:

"City Councilor Ed Flynn, who represents downtown, had opposed the half-hour increase in hours, saying 3 a.m. closing times are just too late for New England's largest city"

If a business such as this wishes to stay open until 3 am, how is this a bad thing?

 

[shmessy]

Board OKs kabobs and wraps until 3 a.m. on Tremont Street downtown

The Boston Licensing Board today approved a request by Black Seed to extend its closing time from 2:30 a.m. to 3 a.m. in its new location one door down from its old one on Tremont Street in Downtown Crossing. Read more.

www.universalhub.com

This really isn't anything noteworthy, however, I do find this comment unfortunate:

"City Councilor Ed Flynn, who represents downtown, had opposed the half-hour increase in hours, saying 3 a.m. closing times are just too late for New England's largest city"

If a business such as this wishes to stay open until 3 am, how is this a bad thing?

".......
"City Councilor Ed Flynn, who represents downtown, had opposed the half-hour increase in hours, saying 3 a.m. closing times are just too late for New England's largest city"
If a business such as this wishes to stay open until 3 am, how is this a bad thing?"


Because Ed Flynn, who was the only one opposed, evidently changed his vote within the space of 24 hrs.

Just one day earlier:

The City that Always Sleeps: Ed Flynn would rather you be snug in bed at 2:30 a.m. than chowing down on a lamb kabob

The Boston Licensing Board decides tomorrow whether to let Black Seed extend its closing time from 2:30 a.m. to 3 a.m. at its location on Tremont Street downtown. Read more.

www.universalhub.com

 

[bigpicture7]

New steak house coming to 222 Berkeley St. (at Berkeley and St. James) in Back Bay:

STK Steakhouse to open first Boston location in Back Bay - Boston Real Estate Times

BOSTON–Oxford Properties Group announced that The ONE Group will open Boston’s first STK Steakhouse early next year. Located at Oxford’s 222 Berkeley Street property, the restaurant will offer STK’s signature “Vibe […]

bostonrealestatetimes.com

 

[DBM]

Because Ed Flynn, who was the only one opposed, evidently changed his vote within the space of 24 hrs.

Just one day earlier:

The City that Always Sleeps: Ed Flynn would rather you be snug in bed at 2:30 a.m. than chowing down on a lamb kabob

The Boston Licensing Board decides tomorrow whether to let Black Seed extend its closing time from 2:30 a.m. to 3 a.m. at its location on Tremont Street downtown. Read more.

www.universalhub.com

What the heck are you talking about? Ultimately, it's quite trivial, but, the UHub posts make it abundantly clear that Flynn was always opposed to the proposal to push the closing hour back to 3 am. The 2nd post even included a link to the first one, underscoring that Flynn's oppositional stance was unwavering . . . I'm really perplexed as to how you deduced there was a change in his stance.

First UHub post:

"Through an aide, City Councilor Ed Flynn, whose district includes the downtown part of New England's largest city, told the board today that 3 a.m. is just too late a closing time for any Boston restaurant and so opposes the later closing time."

Second UHub post:

"City Councilor Ed Flynn, who represents downtown, had opposed the half-hour increase in hours, saying 3 a.m. closing times are just too late for New England's largest city."

 

[shmessy]

What the heck are you talking about? Ultimately, it's quite trivial, but, the UHub posts make it abundantly clear that Flynn was always opposed to the proposal to push the closing hour back to 3 am. The 2nd post even included a link to the first one, underscoring that Flynn's oppositional stance was unwavering . . . I'm really perplexed as to how you deduced there was a change in his stance.

First UHub post:

"Through an aide, City Councilor Ed Flynn, whose district includes the downtown part of New England's largest city, told the board today that 3 a.m. is just too late a closing time for any Boston restaurant and so opposes the later closing time."

Second UHub post:

"City Councilor Ed Flynn, who represents downtown, had opposed the half-hour increase in hours, saying 3 a.m. closing times are just too late for New England's largest city."

Yup, you're right, mea culpa. I misread that it was the Licensing Board (nothing to do with Councilor Flynn) that unanimously approved the license the next day. Flynn didn't suddenly enter the 21st century after all..

 

[DBM]

Yup, you're right, mea culpa. I misread that it was the Licensing Board (nothing to do with Councilor Flynn) that unanimously approved the license the next day. Flynn didn't suddenly enter the 21st century after all..

 

[real_EthanHunt]

also, not to defend Flynn or his position, but the OP is attributing text from an article as an actual quote from Flynn. there arent quotations in the UHub article.

 

[jklo]

Wegmans Natick Store to Close - Wegmans

www.wegmans.com

Wegmans is closing the Natick Mall location they only opened in 2018. Doesn't sound like they are going to move to a smaller space in the area either.

I posted about it here when it opened, if only because of the novelty of having a grocery store in a Mall.

 

[tmac9wr]

Wegmans Natick Store to Close - Wegmans

www.wegmans.com

Wegmans is closing the Natick Mall location they only opened in 2018. Doesn't sound like they are going to move to a smaller space in the area either.

I posted about it here when it opened, if only because of the novelty of having a grocery store in a Mall.

I'm not familiar with the Natick Mall...does a grocery store there make any sense? If it's a relatively typical mall, it does seem like a bizarre choice due to parking scarcity.

 

[jms13]

I'm not familiar with the Natick Mall...does a grocery store there make any sense? If it's a relatively typical mall, it does seem like a bizarre choice due to parking scarcity.

Parking isn't an issue: that space has an entire garage pretty much to itself, with a bridge/direct entrance on the second level in addition to crossing the street at ground level. The bigger issue is that getting in/out of the mall area for e.g. a quick stop after work to grab dinner is a non-starter, both with the Pike exit traffic and the immediate retail area traffic. I suspect they ran their sales forecast modeling with 2018-level mall traffic, and for all that the Natick Mall is doing better than many/most of the other big indoor malls, it's still down from there. I'm curious if they tried to renegotiate what was likely a 5-year option after the 5-year initial term and Brookfield felt bullish, or whether Wegman's wasn't interested in continuing at any price.

I walk through that Wegman's quite a bit when I'm at the mall, and it always seems like it has people, but it's never as crowded as the Chestnut Hill location is even during relatively off times. (It's a much bigger space, of course, so it probably has pretty similar traffic... but of course they're paying rent on a much bigger space.) I've kind of liked having it if only because the other options for a quick lunch at the mall have always been pretty bad.

 

[393b40]

I'm not familiar with the Natick Mall...does a grocery store there make any sense? If it's a relatively typical mall, it does seem like a bizarre choice due to parking scarcity.

There's a big luxury housing component on top of the mall.

 

[jklo]

I'm not familiar with the Natick Mall...does a grocery store there make any sense? If it's a relatively typical mall, it does seem like a bizarre choice due to parking scarcity.

Could be a competition issue. There's a lot of other grocery stores in the area.

There's a big luxury housing component on top of the mall.

And there (was?) plans to convert the former Neiman Marcus and Lord & Taylor to lab space. Course that those stores closed could be a reflection that mall traffic has decreased there.

 

[Arenacale]

I'm not familiar with the Natick Mall...does a grocery store there make any sense? If it's a relatively typical mall, it does seem like a bizarre choice due to parking scarcity.

One of the major problems with it is the layout. They did an OK job in logically splitting the floors, but it has none of the typical flow of a supermarket. Trying to find stuff in there is a chore, whereas at a "regular" Wegmans (like Northborough) everything is roughly where you'd expect it to be if you were in a Stop & Shop or Shaws. Pre-pandemic I'd shop there over Northborough for convenience on the way home from work, but I've only been there once or twice a year since, and it's just not worth the hassle.

 

[jklo]

One of the major problems with it is the layout. They did an OK job in logically splitting the floors, but it has none of the typical flow of a supermarket. Trying to find stuff in there is a chore, whereas at a "regular" Wegmans (like Northborough) everything is roughly where you'd expect it to be if you were in a Stop & Shop or Shaws. Pre-pandemic I'd shop there over Northborough for convenience on the way home from work, but I've only been there once or twice a year since, and it's just not worth the hassle.

I could totally buy that the two floors is an big issue. Maybe they could have moved the booz to the top floor and the rest of the groceries to the bottom floor.

 

[sm89]

Street view shows that it was formerly a JCPenney. Idk if it was mainly WCVB pushing this angle, but all of the "non-traditional Wegman's closing" headlines are very odd. Like, media are trying very hard to push the excuse and I'm not sure I've seen that before for a store closing.

 

[awood91]

Street view shows that it was formerly a JCPenney. Idk if it was mainly WCVB pushing this angle, but all of the "non-traditional Wegman's closing" headlines are very odd. Like, media are trying very hard to push the excuse and I'm not sure I've seen that before for a store closing.

That's the stated reason from Wegmans, directly.

Wegmans Natick Store to Close - Wegmans

www.wegmans.com