The Swellesley Report

Since 2005: More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.

Blank Street Coffee in Wellesley Square: Opening Day is May 7

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Blank Street Coffee

The much anticipated opening of Blank Street Coffee at 61A Central St., in Wellesley Square has now been confirmed by the company for Thursday, May 7.

We first reported in March of 2025 about the business’s plans to expand into Wellesley. Blank Street has dozens of locations along the east coast of the United States, including nine spots in Boston/Cambridge/Brookline, plus many sites in the U.K.

Anticipation grew late last year as a matcha green window covering appeared at the Wellesley Square space, which sits between Wasik’s Cheese Shop and J.P. Licks. Coffee and tea drinkers were already thirsting for a place to go downtown after Starbucks closed in the fall after 30 years in that space across from where Blank Street is opening.

The Linear Retail tenant wound up buddying up with one of its other neighbors, black & blue Steak and Crab to resolve a grease trap installation challenge, and now is set to go.

Blank Street Marketing Director Dibba Iran-Parasti says: “We chose Wellesley for a reason: its charming retail district and buzzing student community (shoutout to Wellesley College and Babson!) made it a natural fit for us. There’s a real energy here that we wanted to be a part of.”

The space is about 1,000 sq. ft. and boasts seating for 18-20 people.

“We really wanted it to feel like a place where neighbors could slow down and settle in, so you’ll find warm tones throughout and intimate seating areas that make it easy to linger over your latte,” Iran-Parasti says.

Various lattes, from Iced Daydream to Iced Blondie, are among patrons’ favorites. Assorted Matchas, from Iced Strawberry Shortcake to Iced Cherry Freeze, also also popular items (matcha drinks are made with finely ground powde from specially grown green tea leaves). Hot and cold coffee, teas, and more are also on the menu.

Blank Street got its start with a coffee cart in Brooklyn.

Blank Street is hiring in Wellesley.  

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Business Buzz—the Business Liaison is baaaack—and so is Wellesley in Bloom

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The latest Wellesley, Mass. business news: 

Wellesley Select Board reinstates Business Liaison role

Wellesley Town Hall
Wellesley Town Hall in bloom

In a move aimed at revitalizing communication between local government and the private sector, the Wellesley Select Board officially reinstated the Business Liaison position this month.

The role, which had been phased out in January 2023, traditionally served as a bridge between a Select Board member and the Wellesley business community to act as a primary point of contact for Town Hall staff.

Chair Marjorie Freiman announced the reinstatement during the April 14 Select Board meeting, confirming that Beth Sullivan Woods has been appointed to the role. Sullivan Woods is no stranger to the responsibilities, having previously served as the liaison before the position was discontinued three years ago.

As the designated “conduit of information,” Sullivan Woods’ primary focus will be ensuring that the needs and concerns of the business community are heard by town government. She will provide regular updates to both the Select Board and Corey Testa, the Town’s Assistant Executive Director. 

Wellesley In Bloom starts Saturday, May 2

Wellesley In BloomStarting May 2, Wellesley comes alive with Wellesley in Bloom, a town-wide celebration of spring featuring floral fun, pop-up experiences, and creative collaborations throughout Wellesley’s shopping areas.

Now in its second year, Wellesley in Bloom invites you to stroll through town and discover unexpected moments of beauty, creativity, and local charm.

From floral displays and art installations to more than 50 pop-up experiences and seasonal surprises, businesses and community organizations across Wellesley will bring the spirit of spring to life. Don’t miss the Mahjong & Canasta Social pop up on May 2, at black & blue Steak and Crab, 65 Central St. Mahjong: 10:30am–12:30pm & Canasta: 1:30pm 3:30pm.

About Wellesley in Bloom

Funded by a state grant, the purpose of Wellesley in Bloom is to hold an event that creates a positive community experience and fosters business collaborations.

Do you keep learning new things by reading Swellesley? Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to support our work.

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London Harness, Wellesley
Wellesley Symphony Orchestra, 2026
Planning

Wellesley Lower Falls area to get a study of its own

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The Wellesley Planning Board earlier this month discussed commissioning a visioning study of the Lower Falls Village area, which is ripe for redevelopment in light of large properties changing hands already or expected to before long (see Wellesley Media recording of the April 13 Planning Board meeting, about 10 minutes in). It’s also a challenging area in that it is nearby major highways and plagued by traffic.

This study would be separate, but related to, recent studies like the Strategic Housing Plan and future ones, like a new Comprehensive Plan. A draft request for proposals (RFP) is in the works, and served as a jumping off point for the April 13 discussion (the study could cost up to $50k). A study of this area was conducted in the 1990s.

Brad Downey, interim planning director, said in a follow-up email exchange that “The genesis of this particular study is the result of a few factors: increased activity and involvement from neighbors on future development in the Lower Falls area following the two RIOs proposed at Fall 2024 Town Meeting, as well as the pending sale of many of the Haynes Management properties in that area, which are to be sold to another property owner, likely for redevelopment. The increased neighborhood interest as well as increased likelihood of future development were the two key factors the Planning Board had in mind when considering this study.”

It remains to be seen how soon the RFP will be finalized and issued. Asked about a timeline for issuing the RFP, Downey said at the meeting that “I don’t think there is a particular rush.”)

It can be challenging to keep track of what’s coming up at Wellesley town government meetings. We try to help by posting an agenda preview each week that highlights items we think might be of interest, as we did with this study (See: “Wellesley town government meetings for week of April 13, 2026: Town Meeting debriefs; Lower Falls Area Study Discussion”). Sign up for our free weekday email newsletter to stay plugged in.

The funding for this project comes from the Planning Department operating budget, which typically includes $50,000 each year for retaining professional services, such as planning consulting services to conduct studies.

Toward the beginning of the Planning Board’s discussion, member Jim Roberti shared a map of the Lower Falls area (to be defined as part of the RFP process) to illustrate the hodgepodge of zoning districts within this part of town. There’s business, industrial, Lower Falls Village, Residential Incentive Overlay (RIO), and other zoning in the area covering Walnut, River, and Washington Streets.

Lower falls zoning
Lower Falls zoning map

 
This section of Wellesley has been at the epicenter of discussions at Town Meeting and beyond in recent years about RIOs due to proposed multi-family housing projects that many neighbors opposed for density, traffic, and other reasons. Also, arguments were made that efforts to eliminate RIOs from some parts of town might unfairly burden other parts, namely Lower Falls (Annual Town Meeting recently voted to eliminate RIOs from all districts, not including the four previously approved RIO projects).

In discussing the proposed Lower Falls study, Roberti said “I guess the question’s going to come: Why are we doing this? Are we doing it to restrict this area so less things can be developed? Or are we doing it to regulate what’s going to be built or are we going to encourage more to be built?” Roberti said he’d also been asked about whether Planning envisions doing traffic studies, and he wondered about whether funding would even be available for that.

Board member Ed Chazen asked how this study might fit with a broader Comprehensive Plan the town plans to undertake (it failed to get funding at Annual Town Meeting, but proponents will be back with another request). The Comprehensive Plan would succeed the dated Unified Plan, a long-range vision for future land use, development, and growth across town. The Planning Board’s Tom Taylor said he’d see the Lower Falls plan as being more detailed, getting into issues like traffic flow and parking (maybe turning parking lanes into traffic lanes during certain hours, like in Wellesley Hills, or decking the municipal parking lot on River Street).

“The elephant in the room is the Haynes property that sits right through the middle of this,” Taylor said. “We can have all sorts of great ideas and they can just say forget it, I’m going to build by right…”

Chazen urged that the town get into conversations with the big property owners in the area sooner than later to help ensure that this gateway into town is developed thoughtfully. While many properties are owned by Haynes, or have been sold by Haynes to others, there are also other established property owners in the area (such as at 1 Washington St. along the Charles River) that would need to be looped in.

Roberti pointed out that this a “commercial/business/industrial area that butts right up to a residential area…and I think one of the problems with the RIO is that there wasn’t enough buffer between the improved or changed use and the current residential.”

The board talked as well about needing to get neighborhood input in advance of issuing the RFP and/or as part of the study.

This study would roll out even as new developments proceed in Lower Falls, including a multi-family housing complex at 49 Walnut St., and a First Citizens Bank branch at 26 Washington St. where Taylor Rental used to be.

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Business Buzz: TLC Closet opens in Wellesley Square; Prepped & Polished expands to Weston; Rutledge opens Sudbury post

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The latest Wellesley, Mass., business news:

TLC Closet opens in Wellesley Square

TLC Closet

TLC Closet, a medium-to-high-end clothing and accessories consignment shop, has opened at 35 Central St. in Wellesley Square (next to Footstock).

TLC Closet has been on the move. The business started post-COVID in owner Tracy Cohen’s home when she began looking to sell nice clothes that she and her family no longer wanted. She initially did this via Facebook Marketplace, then added an Instagram account to the mix.

“It was a huge hit and people started lining up at my door to buy these wonderful items that were no longer needed in my family,” says Cohen, who shared her story a while back on Instagram.

The success and fun Cohen had doing this, which included reconnecting with people after the pandemic and reselling clothes from others, rekindled her love of being in the fashion industry—she has spent 30 years in it, including in the New York Garment Center.

TLC ClosetLast year, Cohen opened a shop within The Hive, a retail business collaborative in Natick Center, and this spring she has shifted operations to a space of her own at 35 Central St. in the heart of Wellesley Square.

After a 6-month residency at the Hive, Cohen says, “I gained enough confidence to go out on my own just feeling like I needed more space…” She was already doing much of her shopping and marketing in Wellesley.

Asked about what’s hot, Cohen says colorful maxi skirts and dresses are trending for this summer. Also: Up-cycled men’s Ralph Lauren shirts are huge, she says.

“They are either worn tied at the waist open like a jacket or as a cover-up. They want the Ralph Lauren ones with the logo and want them oversized…” What’s more, “a very hot new trend is taking the Ralph Lauren shirts, cutting the bottoms off and finishing them and then taking the extra fabric to create a luminous collar.”

Check TLC Closet’s Instagram account for hours.

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Prepped & Polished expands to Weston

Prepped and Polished has announced the opening of its newest location in Weston. The expansion marks a significant milestone for the educational services company as it establishes a physical presence in a town know for its academic excellence. 

“Weston has always been one of our favorite towns in New England,” Prepped and Polished owner Alexis Avila says. “It is a natural fit for our mission, and we are thrilled to be closer to the wonderful families we have served for so long.”

The new office is located at at 470 Boston Post Road, Suite 201, on the second floor of the Devito Building.

In addition to the new Weston location, Prepped and Polished has offices in Newton, Lexington, and Wellesley, and also offers flexible online tutoring.

Prepped and Polished, Weston
Prepped and Polished, Weston location

More education news:

Rutledge Properties opens Sudbury post

Rutledge Properties is expanding its real estate brokerage business beyond its Wellesley office on Washington Street to Sudbury, at 353 Boston Post Rd. A ribbon cutting is slated for May 5.

The Sudbury office, which will serve Sudbury, Wayland and beyond, launches with anchor agents Rachel Stocker and Nicolette Mascari.

Leadership team pic
Rutledge’s Betsy Kessler, Christine Lawrence & Chip Stella

Know of Wellesley businesses opening or closing? Fill us in: theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Wellesley Kitchen and Home Tour
Hunnewell Fun Fair 2026

My Gym opens in Wellesley Square with activities for babies and kids

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The landscape of youth fitness in Wellesley has a new addition as energetic as a kid before recess. My Gym Children’s Fitness Center has officially opened its doors, offering active play experiences and classes for children from as young as three months up to 10 years old. Located at the former We Rock the Spectrum space in Wellesley Square, My Gym, with over 600 franchised locations worldwide, is all about physical play and developmental growth.

My Gym, Wellesley
The Swellesley Report stopped into My Gym during one of the play spaces rare quiet moments.

Under the leadership of Ryan Debin, CEO and founder of Momentum Enterprises, this new location marks the eleventh My Gym under his corporate umbrella. Debin’s Momentum Enterprises, a Boston-based firm, includes a variety of fitness-oriented ventures such as adult fitness clubs and racquet sports. For Debin, the Wellesley opening is more than just a business expansion.

“Opening our eleventh My Gym location in Wellesley is an exciting milestone for Momentum Enterprises,” says Debin. “Everything we do is rooted in helping families feel connected, supported, and inspired.”

Let’s keep it moving, people

The core philosophy of My Gym is simple: keep kids moving. The curriculum is structured so that there is no sitting or waiting in line. Instead, children rotate through various stations with active supervision from trained instructors.

“Every kid loves the ball pit,” says Craig Semenza, director of operations. “The rock wall is a big hit with the older kids, and we also have the trampoline, which they love.” Semenza says a zip line is expected to be operational by the end of the month, pending the arrival of final safety components.

My Gym, Wellesley
Ball pit

Semenza is currently overseeing the Wellesley start-up, hiring staff and establishing the fun-and-safe vibe of the place. He’ll drop down from a full-time presence in Wellesley to occasional visits before he “slowly fades away” to allow the local team to lead.

Healthy body, healthy mind

The programming at My Gym is built around four core developmental pillars:

  • Cognitive Development:Focusing on following directions and creative problem-solving.
  • Physical Growth:Promoting strength, balance, and agility.
  • Emotional IQ: Building trust, confidence, and self-esteem.
  • Social Skills: Moving from parallel play to teamwork and fostering friendships.

For the youngest participants, the gym serves as a resource for caretakers as well. Semenza observed that parents and guardians often use the class time to discuss learning milestones and share parenting insights.

My Gym, Wellesley

Class structure and accessibility

To ensure safety and personalized attention, My Gym maintains capacity strict limits and instructor ratios. The facility is designed to be family-friendly, welcoming grandparents to participate or watch. There’s also a comfortable entry area with a sofa for parents who need to catch up on work while their children play.

There are no long-term contracts or membership fees, and families can start or pause their enrollment at any time.

For more information on class schedules or to book an introductory session, check out My Gym’s website.

My Gym, Wellesley
Rock wall/parallel bar
Rotary Club, Taste of Wellesley

Taste Buds Kitchen redefines the joy of cooking in Wellesley

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For Adam Maleh, the kitchen has always been a place of joy, but it took years of whisking and sautéing to realize that the magic wasn’t just in the recipes.

“I discovered that I love cooking a long time ago,” says Maleh, the owner of Wellesley’s newest culinary destination. “But what I’ve realized is that more than the joy of cooking itself, what I really love is sharing cooking and sharing food with people that I love. That was ultimately what made me want to open Taste Buds Kitchen.”

Taste Buds Kitchen, Wellesley
Adam Maleh (center) and family celebrate the opening of Taste Buds Kitchen on Linden St.

 

Located at 161 Linden St., the 2,000-square-foot custom-designed kitchen studio is more than just a place to follow a recipe; it’s a happy place where the mess stays behind, but the memories travel home.

By day, Taste Buds is a Kids Kitchen, hosting baking workshops, summer camps, and birthday parties for aspiring chefs as young as two. By night, the space transforms into an grown-ups only BYOB kitchen, perfect for sophisticated date nights and  corporate team-building events.

The philosophy is simple: aspiring chefs of all ages are there to learn, laugh, and cook. Every session is designed to be hands-on and entertaining, ensuring that everyone creates a culinary masterpiece without the soul-sapping downer of clean-up.

Safety and inclusivity at the table

In true welcoming fashion Taste Buds understands the complexities of modern dietary needs. The studio does not cook with peanuts or tree nuts, nor are these ingredients part of their recipes. While they cannot guarantee that third-party ingredients were produced in nut-free facilities, they take rigorous steps to ensure no whole nuts, nut butters, oils, or flours enter their kitchen.

Taste Buds menus can be tailored for:

  • vegetarian preferences
  • gluten-free diets
  • dairy-free and egg-free requirements
  • vegan requirements

Taste Buds Kitchen, Wellesley

What’s cooking?

The upcoming schedule offers an array of crowd pleasers. Adults can try out “Rustic Italian” nights featuring chicken parmesan with wild mushroom and truffle oil risotto, or “Tasty Thai” sessions that offer gluten-free and dairy-free Pad Thai and pineapple chicken satay with nut-free Thai sauce.

Kids and families can have fun with “Under the Sea” cupcakes and “unicorn pizza” for ages 2-8; while the Family Cooking Class (ages 6+) menu features Italian favorites like handmade pasta dough and lasagna cupcakes.

Events are offered seven days a week. As Maleh notes, the goal is always the same: sharing the love of food with the people who matter most.

Taste Buds Kitchen
161 Linden St., Wellesley
Open seven days a week

More food, more better

 

Rotary Taste of Wellesley—May 20

Taste of WellesleyLOCATION: Wellesley Country Club
BUY YOUR TICKETS TODAY here: https://taste-of-wellesley.square.site/

Charles River Chamber, Spring Seasonings—April 13
LOCATION: Newton Marriot

Where to eat in Wellesley—sponsored by black & blue Steak and Crab

Where to eat in Natick—more than 70 dining options

Sneak peek: New Wellesley restaurant Charm Ramen & Rice

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Charm Ramen & Rice
Veggie Ramen (Photo by Iris Zhan)

 
The restaurant business is notoriously challenging, but one edge that the new Charm Ramen & Rice in Wellesley Square has out of the chute is that co-owner Ae Trahan has been doing taxes for eateries in Wellesley and beyond for years. She really understands restaurant finances, what works and what doesn’t.

What’s more, she and partners Aum and Auy have taken a deep dive into the Japanese cuisine they will serve at Charm, which begins its reservations-only soft-opening month on April 4 at 555 Washington St., the former longtime location of Lemon Thai. They all headed to California ahead of opening the restaurant to train with an experienced Japanese chef, and he in return paid the restaurant a visit before it opened to ensure the kitchen was set up properly to prepare ramen, gyoza, and other menu selections. The co-owners learned the importance, for example, of how precise measurements really do make a difference in how their food will taste.

Charm, Wellesley

Trahan and team found their Wellesley spot at the start of 2025 and have been readying for their opening since. One not-so-secret weapon for Charm is Trahan’s husband, Paul, a custom carpenter by trade who gutted the space and rebuilt the interior with unique, well, charm. Among the immediate eye-catchers at the nearly 50-seat restaurant, as we saw during a sneak peek in March, are display shelves populated with manga comic book figurines. Trahan says she has so many they plan to sell them to customers at some point.

Charm’s fun decor also features a mural that those in the know realize includes cartoon depictions of the owners’ pre-teen daughters. Trahan’s rascally son also makes a cameo in the painting, launching a paper airplane from above in the work done by one of her kids’ teachers.

All of this provides the backdrop for the food, which can be eaten there or taken out. As the name of the restaurant indicates, Charm serves ramen and rice—a plethora of rice bowls are an option for those on gluten-free diets.

Trahan has visited the Wellesley area frequently to see family, and was struck by a lack of ramen options available. That’s in large part what inspired her to focus Charm on the popular Japanese noodle soup dish. “We all love ramen,” she said about herself and her business partners.

Charm, Wellesley
Aum, Ae, and Auy are excited to bring Charm’s ramen and more to Wellesley.

 
Charm’s menu brims with ramen selections. Our party of three—Mr. & Mrs. Swellesley, plus Wellesley College student and Swellesley contributor Iris Zhan—were served three different ramen bowls. Being picky me, I went with the Simple Ramen, which contained clear chicken broth as well as chicken chashu, sweet corn, nori (seaweed), garlic oil, and a swirly little fish cake (nautomaki). This was a serving of salty (shio) goodness delivered in a bowl donning Charm’s logo (as we learned, “Charm,” means “bowl” in Thai, and the Thai word is embedded in the logo).

My lunch mates gobbled down Tonkotsu Ramen, served in a thick broth with pork chashu, and Veggie Ramen, featuring seasoned tofu. Ramen bowls range in price from about $15-$20.

The ramen bowls were plenty filling, but the Charm team also shared a sampling of more and more appetizers. As something of a gyoza connoisseur, the first thing I did was ask for the pan-fried pork variety, while Iris opted for the veggie/greenish version. I loved the gyoza that Lemon Thai once served, but Charm’s edition was perhaps the best I’ve had, both light and flavorful. Iris loved the veggie option, and was surprised to learn it included cabbage, which they said they’re usually not a fan of.

Trahan made a point that Charm makes its gyoza fresh on site, whereas most such dumplings are bought frozen by restaurants and heated up, leaving them doughy.

Charm Ramen & Rice
Appetizer overload (Photo by Iris Zhan)

 
Other notable appetizers included plump truffle edamame, juicy shrimp shumai, crispy brussels sprouts (just the way Mrs. Swellesley likes them), seaweed salad, and takoyaki, fried octopus balls, and Chashu Buns, small sandwich-like creations packed with pork, vegetables, and sauces. Apps range in price from about $7 to $14.

For dessert, Charm offers a selection of mochi ice cream, including green tea, black sesame, mango, chocolate, and strawberry. Another fun finisher is taiyaki, a warm and crispy fish-shaped pastry with creamy custard inside, and served alongside ice cream.

Charm Ramen & Rice
Mochi ice cream (Photo by Iris Zhan)

 
Charm Ramen & Rice
Taiyaki (Photo by Iris Zhan)

Charm is offering a colorful roster of sodas, teas, an alcoholic beverages. A rainbow of Asian snacks are also displayed at the counter.

The restaurant brings something fresh and new to town, and we expect it to be a hit with locals, including college students.

Charm Ramen & Rice
Snacks and more snacks

 

More: Where to eat in Wellesley (sponsored by black & blue Steak and Crab)

Business buzz: Wellesley restaurants on Spring Seasonings roster; Code Ninjas opens in Wellesley Hills

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The latest Wellesley, Mass., business news:
 

Wellesley restaurants on Spring Seasonings roster

 
spring seasoningsThe Charles River Regional Chamber’s annual Spring Seasonings: A Taste of our Towns event returns on April 13 at the Newton Marriott (5:30-8pm) and Wellesley restaurants will be well represented.

This year, forty local restaurants will come together to showcase their distinctive and diverse cuisines, and they will be complemented by beverage exhibitors showcasing their offerings.

This year’s Wellesley restaurant participants:

● Alta Strada
● black & blue Steak and Crab
● Captain Marden’s
● Fiorella’s
● Papa Razzi
● Playa Bowls
● Smith & Wollensky
● Truly’s

Tickets: $75 for chamber members / $100 for non-members. Prices increase on April 1. Tickets are available at www.charlesriverchamber.com/spring-seasonings. No tickets will be sold at the door.
 

 

Know of Wellesley businesses opening or closing? Fill us in: theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

 

 

Code Ninjas now in Wellesley Hills

 
Code Ninjas, a place for kids to learn coding, robotics and more in a fun environment, this week held a ribbon cutting for its new location at 386 Washington St.

There had previously been a Code Ninjas location in Linden Square that opened in 2019.

The new Wellesley Hills Code Ninja will celebrate with a grand opening on March 28 from 10am-2pm.
 

 

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