• Contact Us
  • Events calendar
Entering Swellesley
Pinnacle, Douglas Elliman, Wellesley

The Swellesley Report

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

  • Advertise
  • Contribute
  • Subscribe
  • Eat
  • Wellesley Square
  • School news
  • Private schools, sponsored by Riverbend
  • Public Schools, sponsored by Sexton
  • Camp
  • Kids—swim tryouts Oct. 1
  • Top 10 things to do
  • Business news
  • Embracing diversity
  • Letters to the editor
  • Guidelines for letters to the editor
  • Fire & police scanner
  • Worship
  • Live gov’t meetings
  • Events
  • About us
  • Wellesley snow plowing services
 
Needham Bank, Wellesley
Write Ahead, Wellesley

Wellesley Business Buzz: Tamara’s Golden Needle closes; Wellesley merchants cleaning up, plotting July Jubilation alternatives; gyms making way back; Market 2day bringing farm fresh food to town

July 7, 2020 by Deborah Brown 1 Comment

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

Tamara’s Golden Needle closes after 35 years

When we called Tamara Kanevsky after noticing that her Golden Needle tailoring shop in Wellesley Hills appeared to be cleared out, we were ready for sadness on the other end of the phone.

But instead, we were relieved to hear the Wellesley resident and shop owner was laughing, saying that the pandemic sped her retirement by a couple of years but that the timing is good. She’d been at 445 Washington St. for about 20 years in a shop that oozed history, and a little ways down the road before that.

But given that wedding, prom and party attire were her specialties, the health crisis dried up most of that business. And even as the state reopens, many of her customers have headed to the cape and Nantucket for the summer. Wellesley’s pricey rent isn’t forgiving either, she says.

Kanevsky has been making the best of a challenging situation by crafting cotton masks for customers and frontline workers around the country. She assures her customers that she is happy and healthy, and hopes the same is true for them.

What’s next for Kanevsky? “A lot of gardening,” she says.

Based on her sewing artistry, we’re guessing that’s a pretty fine looking garden, too.


Tamara’s Golden Needle is the latest in an unfortunately growing list of recent closing of Wellesley shops that includes Fastachi, White’s Bakery, Elizabeth Renee, Kidville, Marcus, and earlier closings this year, including Pine Straw and Papyrus. Brueggers hasn’t responded to inquiries, Winston Flowers says it is closed through summer.

Tamara's Golden Needle

Wellesley Merchants cleaning up thanks to COVID-19 grant

Wellesley merchants and patrons are among those benefitting from a second Wellesley COVID-19 Relief Fund grant awarded to the town’s Health Department to pay for hand sanitizer refills for those 40 stations you may have seen popping up at storefronts across town. The original grant also supplied more than 250 merchants with personal protection gear, says Demian Wendrow, owner of London Harness/Tumi and president of the Wellesley Square Merchants Association.

 London Harness/Tumi owner Demian Wendrow
London Harness/Tumi owner Demian Wendrow tapping some hand sanitizer (Photo courtesy of Beth Shedd)

 

Steve Varriale, owner of O'Neil Jewelers in Wellesley unloading PPE and back to business supplies.
Steve Varriale, owner of O’Neil Jewelers in Wellesley unloading PPE and back-to-business supplies. (Photo courtesy of Beth Shedd)

 

No July Jubilation this summer, but merchants are mulling alternatives

Due to the pandemic and efforts to avoid crowding, the annual July Jubilation shopping and family fun event in Wellesley Square won’t happen this summer as we know it.

However, merchants are brainstorming about alternatives to keep July Jubilation’s outdoor spirit alive, such as by having regular sidewalk sales. Details and logistics are still being discussed, and we’ll update you when we know more.

Wellesley fitness joints making their way back

The state has given the go-ahead to gyms and other fitness facilities to reopen their doors if they adhere to social distancing and other rules. A number of Wellesley businesses are jumping right on this, opening either this week or next. These include Boston Sports Club (July 6), Btone (July 8) and Club Pilates (July 13). Others are sticking with virtual classes for now, and others, like Pure Barre invite you to join them for outdoor classes in Linden Square on Tuesday mornings.

Market 2day bringing farm fresh food to Wellesley

Market 2day, a mobile app, shopping and delivery service that brings local food to busy people using farmers markets as distribution points, has expanded its delivery area to Wellesley. Tech executive Insa Elliot launched the service for people who would rather buy from small local food producers than large supermarket chains, but are too busy to make it to the farmers market. The company delivers meat and eggs from local farms, bread from local bakeries and other locally-produced food to homes and, in some towns, to “Community Hubs” (places where people go to on a regular basis like workplaces, daycare centers, fitness communities etc.).


swellesley business ad

More:

  • Subscribe to Swellesley’s daily email
  • Please consider contributing to Swellesley to sustain our independent journalism venture

Filed Under: Business, Health

Comments

  1. Fred Wright says

    July 8, 2020 at 6:11 am

    Wellesley Recreation offering live out doors lookYoga Tues And Thurs mornings at Hardy School field . Posted on Rec site 7/7.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

Advertisements:

Linden Square, Wellesley
Wonderful Wellesley

Tip us off…

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

Advertisements

Wellesley Square
Wellesley, Jesamondo
Fay School, Southborough
Sexton test prep, Wellesley
Feldman Law
Wellesley Theatre Project
Wellesley Scouts
Volvo
Prepped and Polished Boston Tutoring and Test Prep
Tutoring, Ann-Marie MacDonnell
Cheesy Street Grill
Admit Fit, Wellesley
Mature Caregivers
charles river chamber
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Subscribe to our email newsletter

Fill out simple subscription form.

Our newsletter is free, though we appreciate any financial support for our independent journalism venture.

Follow Swellesley on Google News Showcase

The Swellesley Report has been selected to be highlighted on Google News Showcase. Please follow us there.

Most Read Posts

  • But wait, what about pickleball?
  • Don't miss the Wellesley fun—Sidewalk Sale; Crafts for Kids; Car Wash fundraiser; Fiske Western Round-Up
  • Wellesley residents ready for Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk
  • Wellesley making moves to comply with MBTA Communities multifamily zoning rules
  • UU Wellesley Hills calling all singers

Click on Entering Natick sign to read our Natick Report

Entering Natick road sign

Upcoming Events

Sep 12
8:15 am - 11:00 am

Fall real estate forum

Sep 13
8:30 am - 12:15 pm

Opening day—Schofield School Shoppers Corner

Sep 13
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

Newton-Wellesley Hospital hosting Purple Flag Event

Sep 17
4:30 pm - 5:30 pm

Building a Better Wellesley meeting with guest Tom Taylor, Planning Board chair

Sep 20
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

“Navigating Artistic Perils” with Leslie Graff

View Calendar

Recent Comments

  • Kim Mahoney on At chaotic meeting, Wellesley Planning Board votes to put Sisters of Charity article on Special Town Meeting warrant
  • Jim Roberti on At chaotic meeting, Wellesley Planning Board votes to put Sisters of Charity article on Special Town Meeting warrant
  • Bruce on A rare peek inside Hunnewell Estate in Wellesley
  • Julia on Where is Swellesley? We asked 3 AI tools
  • Steven Sims on But wait, what about pickleball?

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
Call and Haul, Wellesley
Refined Renovations, Wellesley
Deland, Gibson, Wellesley
Rick Cram, leader

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