The Swellesley Report

Since 2005: More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.

Entrepreneurship

Wellesley kids turn stray golf balls into a thriving business

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Jamie & Dylan golf balls
Get yer golf balls here!

When I first turned off Ingraham Road onto Dover Road across from the entrance to the Nehoiden Golf Club on Saturday morning and saw a couple of kids and a man setting up a table with signs, I assumed it was a lemonade stand. But no, this was a case of location, location, location: Jamie (11) and Dylan (7) were selling paper bags of 10 golf balls—make that “premium” golf balls—for $10 apiece.

“You get a couple of Titalists in each,” Jamie said.

“No practice balls,” Dylan chimed in.

The friendly boys, whose enterprise also includes older brother Hugh, say they find the balls all over the place, including in local waterways. They invested in a ball cleaner that really spiffs up the golf balls, Jamie said, even more spotless than the bright yellow one he held up to show me.

Definitely a small business for the local “reduce, reuse, recycle” crowd to embrace.

I’d first figured these guys lived in the corner house in front of which their table stood, and had retrieved balls from their front yard. But they said they lived elsewhere in town and that the woman at this house was nice and let them station themselves there.

As of shortly before 10am, the boys had already made $37 in less than an hour, and I gave them the $3 in cash I had on me to round that up to $40. Just as I was leaving, a couple of runners stopped at the table, and looked to be making a purchase. For those without cash, there is a Venmo QR code displayed for one of their parents.

I asked the boys what they might use their money for from what they described as their first business. Jamie said probably for savings, and Dylan said that maybe he’d open a bank account.

Neither golfs, though they said their older brother is interested.

It was as busy a day for runners and walkers as I’ve seen in town, so hopefully all that foot traffic will translate into lots of business for these young entrepreneurs.

Disclaimer: I’ve golfed maybe 10 times in my life. Though probably should have a bucket list item to golf at Wellesley’s two courses.

Got a great Wellesley slice-of-life story to share? Let us know: theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

     

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With Solidcore and Degree Wellness on way to Wellesley, fitness vs. pastries arms race intensifies

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Solidcore, a fitness business with nearly 200 studios across the United States and that touts 50-minute full-body workouts, soon plans to arrive at 51B Church St. in Wellesley. Separately, Degree Wellness, looks to bring its infrared sauna, cold plunge and more to 51 Church St..

They’ll add to the town’s seemingly endless fitness and wellness options, each with its own twists. Many of them point to science, pump up the jams, make obligatory “journey” references, and play around with capitalization and punctuation to try to stand apart.

The two newest fitness businesses we’ve heard about will be adjacent to Figurella, at 51A Church St. with its weight loss/body toning/detox approach…

and not far from Btone…

and B/Spoke…

and Orangetheory…

and The Exercise Coach…

and Human Powered Health…

and Jetset Pilates…

and The Bar Method…

And that’s just in Wellesley Square.

Linden Square and Linden Street are dotted with fitness and yoga studios, too, such as Down Under Yoga Studio, YogaSix, HYP Studio, Beacon Hill Athletic Clubs, Pure Barre, and Club Pilates.

The beat goes on into Wellesley Hills and Lower Falls, with businesses like Stepping Stone Studios and FA Boxing. PVOLVE, coming to Wellesley Hills, is among the latest seeking to CAPITALIZE on what seems to be an insatiable market for fitness studios.

You might ask: Why would Wellesley need so many fitness places, many catering largely to women?

Well, people really care about their health, and often the camaraderie of fitness studios.

Though another reason could be that bakeries and chocolate shops are targeting Wellesley, too, and many locals want to enjoy their sweet and savory treats.

ChocAllure sells jewel-like chocolates in Wellesley Square with flavors it says are “inspired by the genius of French pâtisserie. Speaking of pâtisseries (and using ALL CAPS) SALT Patisserie is prepping to open at the former Starbucks location at 68A Central St. in Wellesley Square.

Also in Wellesley Square, Bridgewater Chocolate plans to open at the former Wellesley Toy Shop space at 59 Central St. Meanwhile, Tatte has been a hit since it opened in Linden Square in 2022, Le Petit Four has had lines coming out the door since it opened in 2025 in Wellesley Hills and this year opened a factory in Needham to keep up with demand. And don’t forget about established Wellesley bakeries like the Wellesley Bakery and Quebrada.

How much overlap there is between bakery and fitness studio customers, we can’t say. But we’re sure they’re finding a healthy balance.

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Wellesley business buzz: Pvolve fitness studio coming; Morgan Partners makes Inc. 5000 list

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The latest Wellesley, Mass., business news:
 

Pvolve fitness studio coming

 
pvolveA Pvolve (or PVOLVE as the marketers like to do it) fitness studio is readying to open at 251 Washington St. in Wellesley Hills within the Marathon Sports block. They’re aiming for a winter opening.

Pvolve touts low-impact, resistance-based workouts that combine strength, mobility, and stability training.

The business has dozens of locations mainly in the United States, and Wellesley will be the first Massachusetts one. Pvolve, started by Rachel Katzman in 2017, largely markets to women and plays up its partnership with celebrity Jennifer Aniston.

Pvolve issued a press release in fall of 2024 stating its plans to open a studio in Massachusetts, and Wellesley was among the communities named back then.
 

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Morgan Partners makes Inc. 5000 list

 
Morgan PartnersCongrats to financial services firm Morgan Partners, the only Wellesley business on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing companies in the country. Morgan Partners is listed at 1,374, boasting 256% growth over three years. The company works with tech firms on mergers and acquisitions and in raising capital.
 

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

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Wellesley business buzz: Restaurants take part in Dine Out Boston; Large commercial real estate deals; Students launch Pro Power Washers

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The latest Wellesley, Mass., business news:

Wellesley restaurants taking part in Dine Out Boston

A handful of Wellesley restaurants are taking part in Dine Out Boston, featuring prix fixe menus for lunch and dinner. The event goes until Aug. 15.

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Photo by Lisa Tender

Wellesley restaurants include:

 

 

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Large commercial real estate deals

 

The Norfolk County Registry of Deeds reported that during the first half of 2026, 10 properties, a mix of commercial and residential, each sold for more than $20 million with an average price of $29.5 million.

  • 978 Worcester St., Wellesley, home to the Mass General Brigham Newton-Wellesley Ambulatory Care Center and Dunkin’ Donuts, a two-story, approximately 25,000-square-foot medical office building along Route 9, sold in March for $25,550,000. The sale also included 36 rental apartments (including 9 affordable units) located behind the two-story 25,000 sq. ft. medical office and retail building.
  • 324 Washington St., Wellesley, known as Phillips Park Apartments, a 49-unit apartment complex on about 1.9 acres near he Wellesley Hills commuter rail station, sold in January for $26,500,000.
  • Phillps Park apartments

Note: This section of Business Buzz has been revised on 8/11/26, as the buyer/seller info originally reported for 324 Washington St. was incorrect. Sorry for the error.

 

Students launch Pro Power Washers

Wellesley-based high school students Sebastian Jadot and Ben Scortino earlier this month started Pro Power Washers.

“The idea came from wanting to start a business that would allow us to be outdoors, stay active, and spend time working throughout our neighborhood,” Jadot says. “We also noticed that trash cans can get pretty dirty and are often overlooked when people clean their homes, so we thought a convenient local trash can cleaning service could be useful. We decided to invest in the equipment ourselves and see if we could build a customer base in the community.”

Jadot relays that they’ve received a good amount of local interest already.

If you could use Pro Power Washers, reach out via their Instagram account or by phone at 339-225-1124.

trash can before washing
Trash can before washing…
trash can after
… and after washing

 

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

Business Buzz: SALT Patisserie’s Wellesley cafe to be part of broader expansion; Piper&Cloth to be first Village Bank retail pop-up

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The latest Wellesley, Mass., business news:

SALT Patisserie’s Wellesley cafe to be part of broader expansion

As we reported in June, Newton Centre’s popular SALT Patisserie plans to open its second location at the former Starbucks space at 68A Central St. in Wellesley Square. We’ve now learned that SALT anticipates opening in October, and that the business is in active discussions for additional locations in downtown Boston and Harvard Square.

SALT Bakery, Newton Centre
SALT Bakery, Newton Centre, Chef Thiago Silva

 
SALT Hospitality Group views the market as consisting of hometown institutions like Mike’s and Modern in the North End, high volume bakery-cafes such as Tatte, and smaller niche bakeries.

SALT seeks to promote chef and business partner Thiago Silva, who blends his Brazilian roots and French pastry training for delicious sweet and savory results.

“SALT’s opportunity is to be a chef-led café, with Thiago at the center, combining craft, quality, warm hospitality and a pop of personality,” according to a recent presentation shared by ownership.

SALT’s ownership group says it has rejected private equity buyout offers in favor of expanding the business independently.
 

 

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Piper&Cloth to be first Wellesley Village Bank pop up

 
When The Village Bank opens its first Wellesley branch next month at 579 Washington St., Piper&Cloth will be the first small business to occupy The Village Shop retail space at the location.

Yvonne Piper’s local children’s clothing retailer, launched in 2022, puts a focus on comfort and durability—so having a physical presence where potential customers can touch the product should boost Piper’s otherwise e-commerce business. Piper tells her story in a lengthy bio on her website.

Piper&Cloth is slated to be in the space through the holiday season, and then a different business will slot in. The Village Bank is working with an outfit called UpNext on its strategy to showcase local upstarts at the branch, which is located at the former site of retailer EA Davis. The bank has plans to host pop-ups at more locations down the road.

With Wellesley seeing an increase in chains and decrease in independent retailers across town, The Village Shop will give unique businesses a chance to shine.

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

Dining

Virtual food hall restaurant Wonder seeking Wellesley Square location

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Wonder, the virtual food hall that serves up dishes from multiple restaurants, has filed an application to open a location in Wellesley Square. However, one source familiar with the situation said the plans are not a done deal, and that it’s possible Wonder may be looking at different locations.

A Wonder spokesperson says the company is aiming to open in Wellesley next year.

It sometimes takes people a few explanations to get their heads around what Wonder actually does. The business has agreements with a bunch of restaurants to prep their recipes and serve their dishes from Wonder locations for delivery, take-out, or dining in.

wonderwellesley
Wonder rendering submitted to town

Wonder boasts of its use of robotics technology to transform food preparation, and even has a fully automated bowl-making system in its kitchens. It touts its ability to make “chef-inspired meals” more accessible. Partners include Streetbird (fried chicken), Yasas (Mediterranean), Bobby Flay Steak, and many more, including Wellesley restaurants such as Jin’s, Singh’s, and CK Shanghai.

Wonder has dozens of locations up and down the east coast, and broke into the Massachusetts market earlier this year, including in Natick just over the Wellesley line (at the Stop & Shop plaza). New locations are slated to open in Brookline, Millbury, and Tyngsborough, Mass., in the months ahead.

We’ve been to the one in Natick, and the beauty of Wonder is that you can get completely different types of food in one fell swoop for different members of your party. If someone in your party wants Indian food and someone else wants Thai or Mexican, you can go grab it all in one order.

Some in town may complain about yet another chain coming to Wellesley, but Wonder is something of a hybrid.

Wonder in its application is eyeing a restaurant with 18 seats for dining in, though Wonder is bigger on take-out and delivery. Long- and short-term parking is always a consideration for Wonder.

Wonder, which describes itself as a food technology platform, shows no sign of slowing down. Earlier this month it announced a fresh $650 million in venture funding at a pre-money valuation of $9 billion.

Note: We originally included an address in this story but have removed that because it’s unclear whether Wonder’s permits will go through for that address.

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Wellesley business buzz: Small Door Veterinary headed to Linden Square, Bach to Rock goes quiet; Financial and real estate news

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The latest Wellesley, Mass., business news:
 

Small Door Veterinary headed to Linden Square, Bach to Rock goes quiet

 
Small Door Veterinarysmall door is readying a location at Linden Square in Wellesley in the space previously occupied by Bach to Rock on the Roche Bros. side of the plaza.

Small Door offers membership-based veterinary care, including 24/7 telemedicine. The business started in Manhattan in 2020 and has expanded into Massachusetts and Washington, D.C. Massachusetts locations nearby are in Newton Centre and Brookline.

We’ve reached out to Small Door to learn about why they are opening in Wellesley, and when.
 

 

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Baystate Financial moves to Needham

 
Baystate Financial, a financial planning and wealth management firm, has moved from William Street in Wellesley to 140 Kendrick Street in Needham.

The firm touts the new space that features a more flexible layout ideal for meetings and events.

 

Real estate firm announces new pairing

 
MGS Group Real Estate, which has offices in Boston and Wellesley, has announced that MetroWest real estate professionals Steve and Nicole Connolly are joining the brokerage to form a team with Teri Adler called Adler Connolly2.
 

Know about businesses coming or going in Wellesley? Tip us off: theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Wellesley business buzz: Rani Mahal restaurant open for takeout & delivery; Captain Marden’s gets OK for off-premises wine and beer sales license

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The latest Wellesley, Mass., business news:

 

Rani Mahal restaurant open for takeout & delivery

Rani Mahal

Rani Mahal, the new Indian and Nepalese restaurant at 27 Grove St. (formerly home of Amarin), is now open for takeout and delivery.

We’ve reached out to the business to get an update on in-person dining and will provide an update when we know more. According to a filing with the health department, the restaurant will have 60 seats.

Rani Mahal’s Ram Dhital says the “from scratch” restaurant is a family-run business with no outside investors, and settled on Wellesley as a town with “a sophisticated demographic of food enthusiasts, including residents, professionals, and a high concentration of college students.”

While Dhital says every dish is special, when pressed he recommended trying Rani Mahal’s momo dishes and curry. He adds: “We think guests will be thrilled with our upcoming all-you-can-eat buffet, available for one set price”

The business, which had to do quite the excavation project before opening for grease trap approval, earlier this month got the Select Board’s OK for common victualler and entertainment licenses.

Rani Mahal has an expansive menu, including soups (coconut and kwati among them), hot and cold appetizers, and entrees, with lots of vegan and vegetarian options.

Another Indian restaurant, called Virsa the Punjab, is slated to open at some point in Wellesley Square.

Captain Marden’s fish market gets OK for off premises wine and beer sales

The Wellesley Select Board earlier this month approved an Off Premises Retail Specialty Food Wine and Malt Beverage license for Captain Marden’s fish market. This follows last year’s approval for serving wine and beer at the adjoining Linden Street restaurant, Marden’s Table & Takeaway.

Select Board member Beth Sullivan Woods backed the application, noting that the sale of alcoholic beverages complements the sale of fish, produce, oils, etc., as a “one-stop shop for your seafood meals.”

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Thank you to Salt for advertising its Linden Square pop-up with us…

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