Wellesley business buzz: Phantom Gourmet heading to Popovers on Friday; New Central Plaza parking system in effect

The latest Wellesley, Mass., business news:

Phantom Gourmet heading to Popovers at Church Square on Friday

The Phantom Gourmet TV show is visiting Popovers at Church Square in Wellesley on Friday, Nov. 7 at 10m.

Popovers Co-owner Carl Parisien, who says he is a big fan of Phantom Gourmet, is excited about the visit and encourages people to head on over to the restaurant to catch the action.  Phantom Gourmet will be conducting interviews and taking a bunch of food shots, possibly including the Swellesley Steak & Cheese.

Natick couple Parisien and Morgan Schaffrath opened the restaurant, specializing in popovers of all varieties, in summer of 2024.

And the Phantom Gourmet profile won’t be there first attention from a local TV program: Chronicle highlighted Popovers this past summer.

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New Central Plaza parking system in effect

Linear Retail has long discouraged parking in its lot behind Central Plaza at 74-102 Central Street (at Cross Street & Weston Road) for those not shopping at Central Plaza retailers, but a new system will really make you pay for it if you park there without getting a validation.

This is designed to help ensure parking is available for patrons of businesses like Shake Shack, Alta Strada, and Wellesley Books. You can get validated for 2.5 hours by scanning a QR code at Central Plaza tenants’ shops.

Anyone who is not shopping at a business on that block and parks in the private Central Plaza lot will incur a fee of $25 per hour.

The town of Wellesley offers parking at municipal lots for way less than $25 an hour. Spaces are available at the rate of 5¢ for 5 minutes, 10¢ for 10 minutes, 25¢ for 30 minutes, and 50¢ for an hour.

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