Wellesley Business Buzz: Maugus, Gent’s Society feeding front line; Donating art; Lazy Daze; Smiles Delivered to your door

A round-up of the latest Wellesley, Mass., business news:

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Maugus, Gent’s Society feeding the front line

Maugus Restaurant has joined forces with the generous but low-key Wellesley Gentlemen’s Society to ready dozens of sandwiches for delivery this Friday to Wellesley police, firefighters and Department of Public Works employees who continue to do their jobs well in the face of difficult circumstances. Chicken Caesar and Turkey/Cheese/Lettuce/Tomato wraps will be among the menu items served.

Maugus’s Charlie Papakonstantinou and his parents have been partnering with other organizations, too, including Devaney Energy, to feed those on the front lines (100 sandwiches a day for 2 weeks for Boston’s St. Francis House homeless shelter).

Papakonstantinou says a free meal can help alleviate stress on people who are working under tough conditions and don’t have time to cobble together all of their own meals.

Maugus looks forward to re-opening when it’s safe to do so, but Papakonstantinou knows that things won’t be getting back to normal any time soon. With likely restrictions on the number of people allowed in at any one time, it will be challenging for restaurants to generate the revenue needed to pay rent and other expenses. He’s thankful that Maugus’s property owner has been reasonable to work with.

As for now, in addition to partnering with organizations like the Wellesley Gentlemen’s Club on meal programs, Papakonstantinou & family are answering the calls. “If the phone rings, we do our best to fill orders with what we have,” he says.

Donating art

Healthcare workers have been receiving lots of free meals and personal protective equipment to help their bodies, and now they are being given something to soothe their souls as well.

Members of the Clever Hand Gallery cooperative have donated dozens of handcrafted items to Newton-Wellesley Hospital’s staff. Among the gifts were jewelry, glass, pottery, a leather checkbook cover, quilted potholders, framed art and photographs, and a wooden cutting board.

High school senior celebrates laziness

Lucy Hirshland, a Beaver Country Day senior, had planned to wrap up her school year interning with her first-grade teacher at Newman Elementary School in Needham for her “senior experience” project. But the COVID-19 pandemic put the kibosh on that.

On to Plan B for Hirshland, who wasn’t ready to settle for “lazy days binging on Netflix, reading books, and playing with her beloved brown cockapoo dog, Coco.”

An entrepreneurial sort, Hirshland reached back to a design project called Lazy Daze that she started last summer for her friends, but then turned into a company as its popularity grew. The business sells T-shirts, stickers, and mugs featuring her dog Coco–or your own dog.

“The goal is to spread a love for laziness, not the typical, negative use of the word, but taking a step away from work and doing whatever makes you happy,” she says, describing her company’s mission.

Hirshland has cranked up the social media marketing for Lazy Daze and joined forces with fellow Beaver Country Day Senior Brett Siegal to meet business demand.

Smiles Delivered to your front door, safely

Here’s something cheerful a group of Wellesley residents have put together to make someone you know smile while supporting local Wellesley businesses.

The Smiles Delivered Project, co-founded by Nicole Chapman and Jill Creevy, has partnered with businesses with what they say is a win-win proposition. Chapman explains, “The purpose is to help out some of our local Wellesley retail stores during these uncertain and challenging times while bringing a smile to a friend, neighbor or loved one. The idea is very simple, contact one of our participating retail stores, place your order for a gift to be delivered to a friend or neighbor, and our organization will provide safe, contact-free deliveries.”

Here’s how it works:

• Call a participating Wellesley store and order your gift. Let them know you are ordering through the Smiles Delivered Project.
• Ask store to add a note to your recipient, if you’d like.
• The Smiles Delivered Project will handle free, contact-free deliver to Wellesley, Dover, and Weston.
• The group will deliver on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
• The stores receive 100% of the profit from your purchase.

Participating stores:

Isabel Harvey – place order on their website isabelharvey.com; write in the special instruction section during check out that it is a Smiles Delivered gift

London Harness Co./ Tumi Wellesley – call 781-237-5950 or email Demian@londonharness.com to place your order; tell them that this is a Smiles Delivered gift

Wellesley Toy Shop – call 781-237-5757 or email Andy@andybrowncompany.com to place your order; tell them that this is a Smiles Delivered gift

Kenzie & Hope – email admin@kenzieandhope.com to place your order; tell them that this is a Smiles Delivered gift

Wellesley Holiday Boutique

Wellesley Books