Wellesley’s Forever Tan moves to a new forever home

September 19, 2017 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Forever isn’t what it used to be.

Forever Tan, that Wellesley Hills spot where anyone could get a sun-kissed glow with just 20 minutes in the tanning-bed or by going spray-on like a pageant girl, has closed its 110 Washington St. location. A sign on their door notes “This location has merged with our Newton location, located 7 minutes away by Needham St.”

Of course, when one bed’s ultraviolet rays go dark, a business opportunity opens up into the light. If you’re seeking commercial real estate, the 1,800 square-feet space is available for lease at $2,400/month.

Bogus Wellesley crosswalk blacked out

September 19, 2017 by bbrown Leave a Comment

Washington St crosswalk, Wellesley

That confusing crosswalk traversing Washington Street in front of the former Blue Ginger restaurant has finally been covered over, months after we started asking questions about it (See: “Swellesley cracks the case of ‘The Crazy Wellesley Crosswalk'”). The black paint used to cover the white lines should fade over time and blend in with the rest of the road, making for a safer traffic situation.

The crosswalk was once for real, providing a temporary safe passage for pedestrians while the Belclare retail/condo complex was under construction and the sidewalk in front of it was inaccessible. But because the crosswalk was left there for months after the construction, pedestrians and drivers couldn’t figure out what to make of it — parking space lines on the Blue Ginger side made it look like people using the meters were parking in the middle of a crosswalk. Blue Ginger’s general manager had told us that customers were baffled by the situation, and often asked about it.

We failed to get a response from Belclare’s developer, but the town did say back in January that the developer and contractor and town were all working to resolve the issue. Here we are in September, and it looks like the case is now closed. Just in time for Belclare to start filling some of its retail space with tenants and for Smith & Wollensky to ready its new digs at the former Blue Ginger spot.

MORE: Pucker up Wellesley: Belclare has another new retail tenant

Tough-as-diamonds O’Neil Jeweler owner fighting his way back to Wellesley Square

September 18, 2017 by Deborah Brown 3 Comments

Steve Varriale, owner of O'Neil Jewelers, Wellesley Square — Steve Varriale, owner of O’Neil Jeweler, Wellesley Square, expects to be back in action very soon.

First we received a mysterious comment on one of our posts about the state of the Wellesley retail landscape. A reader was wondering about Steven Varriale, owner of O’Neil Jeweler in Wellesley Square, and was addressing him by using The Swellesley Report comment thread as a conduit (not a bad strategy when trying to reach someone in town, actually): “Are you OK? Store empty. Hope you’re well.”

What could this mean? I wondered. Concerned about one of Wellesley Square’s most enduring business owners, I stopped by the venerable shop to see for myself.

I was greeted with a sign in the window that said, “Sorry for the inconvenience. We will reopen September 18. For inquiries, please see Andy next door at The Toy Shop.”

You bet I went next door to see Andy at The Toy Shop. After giving me the generalities, Andy connected me to the primary source by dialing Steve and handing the phone to me.

Turns out Varriale isn’t exactly OK. Health problems have forced him to temporarily close up shop, and when I say force, I mean force. Varriale is famous for his work ethic and is the quintessential shopkeeper, seldom missing a day of work in the 45 years that he’s owned O’Neil’s. But sometimes, even for someone as tough as diamonds, taking care of business means taking care of your health.

“I’ve had surgery on my legs,” Varriale told me. “I’m feeling great and I’m going to be back sooner than I thought, which is great. My brother has been going over a few days a week to help with anything urgent, and the store’s hours will be getting back to normal as we get to the end of the month.”

Meanwhile, Varriale has been ordered by his doctor — in strong terms — to rest and heal.

The best part about this story, of course, is that Varriale is following doctor’s orders and therefore will be back soon to take care of O’Neil’s, which his father owned and ran before him. Another great part of this story is the way Varriale and Andy are the types of next-door neighbors to each other that we should all strive to be with our own neighbors. They exchange pleasantries. They discuss the state of the neighborhood. And they’re there for each other when life’s inevitable bumps in the road present themselves.

Plus, they do every day what I hear over and over again that Wellesley wants: they run independently owned businesses that give the town authenticity and stave off a cookie-cutter feel that chains seem to usher in. Not to pile on chains, but Pinkberry pretty much ghosted Wellesley when it left Linden Square without so much as a handwritten sign in the window that said, “Thanks, it was fun while it lasted.”

Can you even imagine O’Neil’s or The Toy Shop leaving us that way, without even a backward glance? Me neither. It just isn’t in their customer service DNA profile. Yes, that’s a thing.

We’ll see you soon Steve.

Wellesley Quebrada getting bigger

September 16, 2017 by bbrown Leave a Comment

Some locals got worried when they first saw papered-over windows at Quebrada Baking Co., in Wellesley Hills, but it soon became apparent that this wasn’t another case of a business shutting down but rather of one expanding.

“We did not mean to alarm anybody with the paper over our windows! ” writes Quebrada’s Schulyer Wiggin. “When the space next door became available over the summer, we took the opportunity to expand our facility and to undergo a full scale renovation. We are updating our retail area, adding more seating and increasing our production space and capacity. We are so grateful and fortunate to have had such an amazing and loyal customer base over the past 30+ years! With this expansion and renovation we hope to be able to provide great baked goods, great coffee, and great service for the next 30 years!”

Quebrada hopes to stay open throughout the project, though there could be a brief closure. We’re trying to get a few more details on the size of the expansion and will update this post if we do.

MORE: Wellesley’s high profile empty storefronts

Wellesley Square Mom’s Day Out event

September 16, 2017 by admin Leave a Comment

SPONSORED POST: The Wellesley Square Merchants’ Association is getting ready for the always popular Mom’s Day Out, and this year it will be even better because the event has expanded to two days. On Friday, September 15 and Saturday, September 16, 10am – 6:30pm, scores of stores throughout Wellesley Square will participate by offering discounts, special offers, and surprises. Why are they doing all of this? Because Moms rock, that’s why.

There will be free parking, as usual, and childcare will be offered at Kidville at 34 Central St. Call 781-235-4650 or email [email protected] 24 hours or more in advance.

SHOPPING: Dozens of stores are participating. Just to name a few…London Harness; Page Waterman Fine Framing, which is celebrating its 100 year anniversary; Wellesley Holiday Boutique; Wellesley Toy Shop; and Anderson’s Jewelers. When you see the Mom’s Day Out sign in the shop window, you’ll know you’ve found a go-to spot for special offers and deep discounts on everything from toys, clothing, and books to home decor, handbags, and more. And here’s a little secret: all this good stuff is available to not just moms, but to everyone else. Moms are inclusive sorts who wouldn’t dream of keeping the fun all to themselves.

PARKING: All this and free parking too starting at 10am, thanks to the Town of Wellesley.

For more information, go to ShopWellesleySquare.