The latest Wellesley, Mass., business news:

Welcome back to The Cashmere Sale in Wellesley Square

SPONSORED CONTENT: Back for its 14th year, the The Cashmere Sale is a Wellesley holiday-time tradition. Needham resident Heidi Wells has set up shop at 35 Central St.—same spot as last year. As usual, she’s brought beautiful, soft and cozy cashmere sweaters, wraps, blankets, hats, mittens, and more.

BEGINS: Thursday, Oct. 17
ENDS: Sunday, Dec. 22
HOURS: Monday-Saturday, 10am-5pm; Sunday, noon-4pm
EMAIL: boston@thecashmeresale.com
ONLINE SHOPPING: The Cashmere Sale
FREE SHIPPING: Use code BOSTON2024

black & blue & red ribbon cutting

The Charles River Regional Chamber and town officials officially welcomed the recently opened black & blue Steak and Crab restaurant to Wellesley Square with a ribbon cutting (the ribbon was red… we joked about how there must not have been any black or blue ribbon).

The restaurant, open daily for diner, has been busy from the start. We made our first visit recently, and enjoyed the steak and crab dishes.

black and blue rib — Wellesley Executive Director Meghan Jop, black & blue Assistant GM Andrea Rebovich, Regional Manager Zac Manning, GM Brian Cullina, Executive Chef Michael Canavan, Select Board Chair Colette Aufranc, Sous Chef George Castro. Cutting the ribbon indoors…

black and blue ribbon — … and making sure it’s good and cut outside.

Know of businesses coming or going? Don’t keep it to yourself: theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Role model for Natick

Natick town officials have watched a bunch of restaurants open in Wellesley over the past couple of years, while Natick’s outdated alcohol licensing held it back from welcoming possible restaurants with less than 100 seats (100 have been required to get an all-alcohol license). Natick recently got the state’s blessing to change its rules, and new rules are being hammered out by the Select Board this month. Natick is hopeful that space coming on the market in new mixed-use buildings will be attractive to restaurants.

During Natick’s Select Board meeting on Oct. 9, Chair Kathryn Coughlin detailed how she was reviewing alcohol policies in other communities, such as Wellesley, that Natick could model its on.

“Are we looking at any towns that have the reputation of being easy to do business with…?” asked one member. Coughlin replied: “Wellesley. Wellesley opened 12 to 15 restaurants. That’s specifically why I use theirs.”