• Contact Us
  • Events calendar
Entering Swellesley
Pinnacle, Wellesley

The Swellesley Report

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

  • Advertise
  • Wellesley Square
  • Deland, Gibson Insurance Athlete of the Week
  • Camp
  • Private schools, sponsored by Riverbend
  • Business index
  • Contribute
  • Eat
  • Schools
  • Top 10 things to do
  • Embracing diversity
  • Kids
  • About us
  • Events
  • Natick Report
  • Seniors
  • Letters to the editor
  • Guidelines for letters to the editor
  • Live government meetings
  • Raiders sports schedules & results
  • Fire & police scanner
  • 2023 Town Election
 
Needham Bank, Wellesley
Write Ahead, Wellesley

Wellesley Square musical chairs, businesses moving here and there

January 21, 2016 by Deborah Brown 4 Comments

The new year often brings a shift in Wellesley businesses coming or going or just moving and renovating, and 2016 has been no exception. Local businesses have been hard at work participating in the great communal task of Wellesley Square musical chairs for a host of reasons — because the coveted storefront over there has finally opened up and grabbing it is a now or never proposition, or because it’s time to give the whole place a facelift so that it can look refreshed, or because winter is long and boring, so why not?

Andy Brown, owner of Wellesley Toy Shop
Andy Brown, owner of Wellesley Toy Shop. The new location has that intoxicating new-store smell.

Wellesley Toy Shop has officially bumped over a space and re-opened next door at the 59 Central St. space where Wellesley Gift Shop previously operated. The former Toy Shop location is empty for now and awaiting its new tenant, Cocobeet, a juice bar-plus that currently has a location at City Hall Plaza in Boston.

Meanwhile, across the street, Optical Designs, WellesleyOptical Designs is moving from 72 Central St. into 68 Central St. which formerly went by 344, a women’s clothing store. More space to fill with fabulous designer eyeglass frames and to serve customers is the main motivation for the family-run business’s decision to hop over to the space after 6 years in its current spot. No word yet on what’s going in once Optical Designs vacates.

Starbucks, Wellesley SquareStay strong for this one: the Wellesley Square Starbucks is temporarily closing on Saturday, January 23 at 5 pm for renovations as it expands into part of the old 344 space. Try not to fret, it will be a mere 17 days until Tuesday, February 9, when the baristas will be back to filling your prescriptions.

In the meantime you can always get your caffeine fix at Dunkin Donuts at 12 Washington St. And Dunkin Donuts at 277 Linden St. And Dunkin Donuts at 951 Worcester St. (route 9 west). And Dunkin Donuts at 978 Worcester St. (route 9 east). Or try JP Licks or Peets, for that matter.

As for the truly incorrigible Starbucks addict, the Linden Square location at 190 Linden St. awaits.

Meanwhile, longevity through the ups and downs of every business cycle should not go unnoticed. As the longest-running tenant in Wellesley Square at 43 years, owner Steve Varriale of O’Neil Jewelers just keeps doing what he does, selling beautiful jewelry, watches, and more to a discerning clientele.

Steve Varriale, owner of O'Neil Jewelers, Wellesley Square
Steve Varriale, owner of O’Neil Jewelers, Wellesley Square

More…

Businesses that came & went in 2015

Wellesley Square’s Muna Gift Shop shutting down

Wellesley Square says goodbye Citibank, hello Webster Bank

print

Filed Under: Business

Comments

  1. F Elacqua says

    January 22, 2016 at 8:13 pm

    What’s with the Dunkin Donut compliementary advertising ? You forgot to mention Peet’s Coffee and Tea ( not fair )…. Also, not to distract from my friend and client Steve Varriale, is the fact that Salon23West has been in it’s UP-TOWN location for 45 years (not fair) … You probably should pay your employees a little more and maybe they won’t fall asleep while they’re checking out what’s really happening in downtown (S)wellesley …….

    Fred Elacqua Salon23West

    Reply
    • Deborah Brown says

      January 23, 2016 at 11:04 am

      Hi, Fred, thanks for reading The Swellesley Report. Congrats on being in business for 45 years. Peet’s is great, and maybe someday we’ll do an all-inclusive list of where to get coffee in Wellesley.

      Reply
      • T.Zaorski says

        January 23, 2016 at 3:33 pm

        Also, the address for Starbucks is wrong. The actual address is “190 Linden St (suite 101)”.

        Reply
        • Deborah Brown says

          January 23, 2016 at 5:58 pm

          Thanks for the correct address, T. I spoke to a manager at Starbucks today, and she says it’s an ongoing problem. The corporate site lists 101 Linden as the address, as does Google. It also doesn’t help that the number on their front door displays the number as 101. At least Swellesley will get it right from now on.

          Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Linden Square, Wellesley
Riverbend, Natick

Tip us off…

Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

 

Advertisements

Wellesley Square, Wellesley Merchants
Wellesley, Jesamondo
Beacon Hill Athletic Club, Wellesley
Fay School, Southborough
Sexton test prep
Feldman Law
Wellesley Theatre Project
Volvo
Cheesy Street Grill
Mature Caregivers
Admit Fit, Wellesley
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
Never miss a post with our free daily Swellesley Report email
Name: 
Your email address:*
Please wait...
Please enter all required fields Click to hide
Correct invalid entries Click to hide

You can subscribe for free, though we appreciate any contribution that supports our independent journalism.

Click on Entering Natick sign to read our Natick Report

Entering Natick road sign

Most Read Posts

  • Letters-to-the-editor day in Wellesley—important election-time updates
  • Wellesley business buzz: Board business liaison phased out; Help ID top business leaders of color; Hospital taps new president
  • Business buzz: Nantucket wine bar to boast Wasik's cheeses; Needham Bank has new Wellesley branch manager; Thanks to new sponsor Beacon Hill Athletic Clubs
  • Wellesley Veterans Parade will be one big wonderful Tea Party
  • Does Wellesley need a new traffic light? Slow down before you drive to any conclusions

Upcoming Events

Jan 31
9:00 am - 11:00 am Recurring

Coffee and Conversation with the Wetlands Administrator and Staff

Jan 31
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Families Eat Together online presentation

Feb 1
11:59 pm

Deadline for Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club grants application

Feb 3
10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Sara Campbell winter warehouse sale

Feb 4
10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Sara Campbell winter warehouse sale

View Calendar

Popular pages

  • Wellesley’s 7 official scenic roads

Recent Comments

  • David B on Does Wellesley need a new traffic light? Slow down before you drive to any conclusions
  • LADY WELLESLEY on Wellesley police officer injured in crash at intersection of Grove and Benvenue
  • Peggy Heffernan on Wellesley police officer injured in crash at intersection of Grove and Benvenue
  • Beth Dublin on Wellesley police officer injured in crash at intersection of Grove and Benvenue
  • Erika on Where to buy the Wellesleyest stuff in Wellesley

Links we like

  • Danny's Place
  • Great Runs
  • Jack Sanford: Wellesley's Major League Baseball Star
  • Tech-Tamer
  • The Wellesley Wine Press
  • Universal Hub
  • Wellesley Sports Discussion Facebook Group

Categories

  • 2021 Town Election (24)
  • 2023 Town Election (2)
  • Animals (428)
  • Antiques (49)
  • Art (592)
  • Beyond Wellesley (52)
  • Books (376)
  • Business (1,557)
  • Camp (10)
  • Careers/jobs (53)
  • Churches (82)
  • Clubs (236)
  • Construction (300)
  • Dump (130)
  • Education (3,189)
    • Babson College (252)
    • Bates Elementary School (18)
    • Dana Hall School (36)
    • Fiske Elementary School (11)
    • Hardy Elementary School (47)
    • Hunnewell Elementary School (46)
    • MassBay (57)
    • Schofield Elementary School (26)
    • Sprague Elementary School (19)
    • St. John School (2)
    • Tenacre Country Day School (11)
    • Upham Elementary School (35)
    • Wellesley College (613)
    • Wellesley High School (996)
    • Wellesley Middle School (204)
  • Embracing diversity (84)
  • Entertainment (814)
  • Environment (772)
  • Fashion (144)
  • Finance (15)
  • Fire (173)
  • Food (358)
  • Fundraising (641)
  • Gardens (164)
  • Government (604)
    • 2020 Town Election (47)
    • 2022 Town Election (15)
  • Health (866)
    • COVID-19 (203)
  • Hikes (6)
  • History (400)
  • Holidays (440)
  • Houses (162)
  • Humor (47)
  • Kids (867)
  • Law (8)
  • Legal notices (10)
  • Letters to the Editor (71)
  • Media (72)
  • METCO (4)
  • Military (13)
  • Morses Pond (109)
  • Music (580)
  • Natick Report (30)
  • Neighbors (280)
  • Obituaries & remembrances (86)
  • Outdoors (655)
  • Parenting (63)
  • Police (778)
    • Crime (395)
  • Politics (554)
  • POPS Senior Profile (10)
  • RDF (6)
  • Real estate (344)
  • Religion (138)
  • Restaurants (340)
  • Safety (155)
  • Scouts (2)
  • Seniors (127)
  • Shopping (163)
  • Sponsored (6)
  • Sports (1,012)
    • Athlete of the Week (12)
  • STEM (108)
  • Technology (165)
  • Theatre (397)
  • Town Meeting (23)
  • Transportation (240)
  • Travel (17)
  • Uncategorized (1,244)
  • Volunteering (350)
  • Weather (179)
  • Wellesley Election 2019 (21)
  • Wellesley Free Library (280)
  • Wellesley Holiday Gift Guide (2)
  • Wellesley's Wonderful Weekend (20)

© 2023 The Swellesley Report
Site by Tech-Tamer · Login