Wellesley Business Buzz: Aetna adding jobs; Bertucci’s bankruptcy; when Grossman’s closed; Babson focuses on family business

April 20, 2018 by bbrown 1 Comment

Here’s a round-up of the latest Wellesley business news:

Aetna adding Wellesley jobs

Aetna said this week that it’s expanding its Consumer Health and Services Organization (a.k.a., innovation hub) in Wellesley, and that will mean 250 jobs by 2020. This innovation hub focuses on building new products and services.

The health insurer had considered moving its headquarters from Hartford to Boston, but this will at least serve as a consolation prize.

Aetna will build out 80,000 sq. ft. at its current location at 93 Worcester St. on Rte. 9 to accommodate additional employees.

“This project reflects our ongoing commitment to the Boston area, a hotbed of talent for critical roles in consumer products, digital health, data science, analytics and marketing,” said Alex Vannoni, vice president of operations and strategy, CH&S, in a statement.

Bertucci’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing

The recent closing of the Wellesley Bertucci’s restaurant wasn’t the chain’s first closing of late and apparently it won’t be its last. The company this week filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it looks to retrench and remain in business.

“The transaction is intended to maximize value for all stakeholders through a fair, open Bankruptcy Court-approved sale process in which Bertucci’s will consider all bids for a sale or restructuring of the company,” the company said in a statement. Bertucci’s still has 59 restaurants open, but closed 15 others in announcing the Chapter 11 filing.

Bertucci's Wellesley MA

When did Grossman’s close?

A reader “with a family need” wrote to us asking when the old Grossman’s hardware store, with its familiar orange and white exterior, closed in Wellesley lower falls. We knew the Grossman’s sign was torn down in 2010, making way for what would become the existing Waterstone senior living facility, but couldn’t find the actual store closing date.

So we went to Ted Tye of National Development, the property management outfit that worked on the Waterstone project, for the info and he says Grossman’s closed in 1994.

wellesley grossmans sign

Babson starts family business center

Babson College has launched a new teaching and research hub called the Institute for Family Entrepreneurship, and named Lauri Union as its executive director. Union led the turnaround of a family manufacturing business while in her 20’s.

A pilot program at Babson this coming fall will support incoming and current students whose families run businesses.

babson family business wellesley — Institute of Family Entrepreneurship leader Lauri Union, Babson College President Kerry Healey, and Babson professor William Gartner at Babson Connect: Worldwide in Madrid

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Wellesley Business Buzz: What Susu is up to; Babson taps commencement speakers; behind Door No. 7

April 12, 2018 by bbrown Leave a Comment

Here’s a roundup of the latest Wellesley, Mass., business news:

Susu rises at Nantucket bakery

Just last summer we were dismayed to hear from Suzanne Aylward, owner of Susu Bakery & Cafe, that after 17 years at her 575 Washington St. location she would no longer be firing up the ovens and turning out her much-loved brownies, butter cookies, and special occasion cakes. The entrance and oven doors at that space remain shut, but Aylward recently contacted me with the news that her heart is full and it’s all because of a few twists and turns that ultimately led her to sweeter pastures on a little island off Cape Cod. Sugar, butter, and flour are still part of her life, but now she’s mixing it all up as the Creative Director of Petticoat Row Bakery, open year-round at 35 Centre St. in the heart of downtown Nantucket.

“It’s a small shop and it’s adorable. Ultimately I came here to run a small business without the headaches. It all happened very fast and furious. I met up with some cool women over here and here I am on an island,” Aylward summarized.

Petticoat Bakery was launched in 2010 by ReMain Ventures, an island-based organization established by Wendy Schmidt, President of The Schmidt Family Foundation. After renovating buildings to reflect ReMain Nantucket’s commitment to the wiser use of energy and natural resources, the organization provides space in those buildings for local businesses that serve as gathering places and for educational programing. The ultimate goal: to give more people more reasons to come to downtown Nantucket thus supporting local businesses.

Some of the 19-seat shop’s menu offerings: breakfast sandwiches; croissants straight up or filled with ham and cheese, spinach and cheese, or chocolate; coconut key lime bars; snickerdoodle cookies; peanut butter cupcakes; baguettes, and focaccia.

If you find yourself on Nantucket this summer, as so many Wellesley-ites do, send a pic to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com. Good luck in your new venture, Susu.

Babson commencement speakers revealed

Babson College has announced that President and CEO of UNICEF USA, Caryl M. Stern, and Co-Founder and CEO of Endeavor, Linda Rottenberg, will be honored at this year’s commencement ceremonies on the Wellesley campus on Saturday, May 19, 2018.

Stern will be receiving an honorary Doctorate of Laws degree and will be giving the commencement address at the undergraduate ceremony at 10 a.m. Rottenberg will be receiving an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degree and will be giving the commencement address at the graduate ceremony at 3:00 p.m.

Babson College 2018 commencement speakers, Stern, Rottenberg — Babson College commencement speakers Caryl Stern & Linda Rottenberg

Behind Door No. 7 in Linden Square

Work has behind on the front of a new Wellesley restaurant in Linden Square that’s currently being referred to as Door No. 7. The new chef-driven business from the operators of The Cottage is slated to open in late summer.

Door No. 7, Wellesley

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Wellesley Business Buzz: Smith & Wollensky job fair; Lyn Evans moving down the block; B/Spoke celebrates; Bertucci’s recap

April 2, 2018 by bbrown Leave a Comment

Here’s a roundup of the latest Wellesley business news.

Smith & Wollensky job fair

The steakhouse plans to open in Wellesley in May at 583 Washington St., formerly occupied by the Blue Ginger restaurant. Smith & Wollensky is hiring for all front-of-the-house and back-of-the-house positions, and will be holding a job fair on April 5-7 and 11-13 from 10:30am-5pm at 575 Washington St., in Wellesley, where Susu Bakery used to be. Fill out the application here before attending the fair (click Apply/Job Search and click the Wellesley location).

Smith & Wollensky, Wellesley

Lyn Evans moving down the block

The closing of the Lyn Evans women’s clothing and accessories store on Church Street last summer after a 30-year run threw the local fashion scene for a loop. The store has since looped back for a pop-up store, and now has announced it will move 5 doors down the street to 32 Church St.

Lyn Evans new location, Church St

Grabbing Boston Marathoner eyeballs

Positive Pressure, Wellesley — Wellesley resident, and owner of recently opened Positive Pressure, Ellen Thompson

A big sign on the former Yogurtology window alerts passersby — including those training on the Boston Marathon route — to the addition of a Sports Massage business in Wellesley Square. But that’s only part of the story.

Positive Pressure, a therapeutic and sports massage clinic, is operating upstairs from the former frozen treats shop, in Suite 14. Wellesley resident Ellen Thompson is not only a board-certified massage therapist, she’s also a family nurse practitioner and an holds a certificate from the Kripalu School of Ayurveda.

She notes that her wellness business “is not a spa, but a clinic. It’s integrative medicine that’s a non-pharmaceutical approach to health care.”

So still nothing in the Yogurtology space, which has been vacant since late 2016, but another option for Wellesley-ites who want to be well.

B/Spoke celebrates 1st anniversary in Wellesley

Congrats to B/Spoke, the indoor cycling-plus studio at 50 Central St. in Wellesley Square, for celebrating its first anniversary in town. The business celebrated over the weekend with a mimosa bar, pancake bar, a live DJ and more. B/Spoke has expanded its business beyond indoor cycling to include other sorts of workouts.

B/Spoke, Wellesley

Bertucci’s aftermath

The sudden closing last month of Bertucci’s in Wellesley Hills quickly gave way to nostalgic wishes for the old Community Playhouse to return to the space. Some have called on the owner of West Newton Cinema to branch out, while others have put out the call for a philanthropist to save us from a boring business from filling the location.

Bertucci's Wellesley closes March 2018

Meanwhile, a few real estate signs have popped up, so the game is on to find new tenants for the building. Let us know if you hear anything…

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Wellesley 8th grader kickstarts campaign to design backpacks for runners

April 2, 2018 by bbrown Leave a Comment

Felipe Lopez, Wellesley, runner backpack

Wellesley Middle School 8th grader and running enthusiast Felipe Lopez has challenged himself to a race: He has until April 20th to raise $7,500 through a crowdfunding campaign to produce a backpack designed with runners in mind.

The For The Runners (FTR) backpack that the 14-year-old has been designing is not only intended to hold shoes and other items needed by runners, but it’s also being built so that you can strap it on and go for a run without the stuff inside the backpack slipping around the whole time. Those pledging $25 on the Kickstarter campaign will get a backpack this summer if the venture gets fully funded.

As someone who has run with a laptop in a backpack between home and work, I can tell you that it’s no fun being pounded on by a Macbook mile after mile. Not to mention that straps inevitably break when undertaking this slightly unwise endeavor.

Lopez, who plans to run for the WMS track team this spring, says the idea for the backpack came to him last fall and that he works on his FTR Sportwear concept every day, and is now cranking up the marketing side of things. He’s already joined forces with a manufacturer in China to pump out a few prototypes. Pretty much a 1-man operation, Lopez designed FTR’s slick website, too.

Lopez acknowledges that designing the backpack hasn’t been easy. He writes on his Kickstarter page that: “It has been difficult to make the backpack perfect, as the size is very hard to get right and the material has come under scrutiny. We switched from the previous material which was too coarse and stiff to ‘900D Gucci Nylon’ which is a softer, more premium material.”

This isn’t Lopez’s first entrepreneurial venture. He’s dabbled in web design and T-shirts, and sells everything from trading cards to sporting goods to used books on sites such as TCGPlayer.com, eBay and Amazon.

Asked about how much adult assistance he’s received in this venture, Lopez replies: “To be honest, little to none. The idea and design features for the backpack were all drawn by hand in a notebook. I’ve taken suggestions to improve the backpack from adults and others, but all decisions are ultimately made by me.”

MORE: Entrepreneurial Wellesley High student not letting old license plates go to waste

With Wellesley Bertucci’s closed, residents call for return of the movie theatre

March 29, 2018 by bbrown 2 Comments

Bertucci's Wellesley closes March 2018 The leftover pizza and rolls had barely gone cold at the shuttered Wellesley Bertucci’s restaurant on Washington Street on Sunday before residents started calling for the return of the movie theatre that once occupied that space.

The realtors looking to fill the Bertucci’s and other space in the complex that’s gone vacant haven’t responded to inquiries.

Some would like to see another family friendly restaurant move in, maybe Mexican or barbeque., while others have raised the idea of a piano bar. But if it was up to many current and former residents, there would be a revival of the Community Playhouse that showed movies and hosted theatre and other entertainment productions from the 1920s until 1987. Josh Dorin has written a fine history of the Community Playhouse, which now lives on as the office and retail space now known as Playhouse Square.

Could a theatre really make a go of it in Wellesley, with its lately looser, but still restrictive bar rules and with so many residents having home theatres and movies streamed to their mobile devices? Other local theatres, such as the new one at The Center for the Arts in Natick (TCAN), serve food and alcoholic beverages, and have gained a following. At least one resident hit up the operator of the West Newton Cinema about the possibility of expanding.

“I’m a lifetime resident who would love the theater back!,” wrote one Swellesley reader. “I live in Wellesley – used to live in Dedham, where there is a great old theater downtown (that serves beer and wine and shows fabulous movies),” wrote another.

The closing of Bertucci’s, which saddened some and was no great loss for others, brought back movie memories for longtime residents, who recall seeing classics like Jaws and Goldfinger there.

“I’m surprised to this day that the community back in 1987 didn’t do more to save that wonderful little theater. Surrounding communities have small theaters that survive,” wrote one reader on our Facebook page.

Swellesley regular Patrick Rafter commented on the Bertucci’s story: “Bring back the theatre! A Wellesley venue for film, acting and more! Any local philanthropists in search of a new worthy cause?”

playhouse square