Wellesley Business Buzz: 87 Central St., opening up; Truly’s has a bracket; Meet The Moving-Pictures Co.; Celebrating women-owned businesses

March 28, 2021 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Our roundup of the latest Wellesley, Mass., business news:

87 Central St., opening up

ArtWellesley might need to crank up some more storefront window art. The property manager for 87 Central St., currently home of Wildflower, a flower and gift shop that opened in the space last October, has posted that the 550 sq. ft. space plus basement will be available in September. Wildflower’s business began as flower truck, and we’ve reached out to the owner to see what her future storefront plans might be.

Truly’s has a bracket

With the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments in full swing, Truly’s has gotten into the spirit with a bracket of its own that naturally pits ice cream flavors against one another. If you guess all of the match ups correctly, you will win a $1,000 Truly’s gift card. If you guess only the final winner correctly, you will win a $5 Truly’s gift card.

Meet the Moving-Pictures Company

Paul Falcone, a former news videographer for Wellesley Media, has been shooting weddings and events for over 25 years. But before he got there, he first had to go through his giant monsters phase. The Rhode Island School of Design graduate started out making films at the age of five at the Yellow Ball Workshop, an animation school run by his parents. His first solo animated movie was effort was titled Underwater Creatures about—you guessed it—big and really scary sea monsters.

That’s been out of his system for a while now, and as principal of The Moving-Pictures Company, Paul now focuses his lens on engagements, weddings, proms, graduations, sports, and other events. As a freelancer Paul has worked on a wide spectrum of projects including corporate events, sports, courtroom video, commercials, music videos, children’s TV, feature films and of course weddings. He’d be happy to work with you on your photography needs.

Chamber scholarship deadline extended

The Newton-Needham Regional Chamber is offering scholarships to three students who either live in or go to school in Needham, Newton or Wellesley and who are going to an accredited college or university in the next academic year. The deadline for applying for these roughly $2,000 scholarships is April 13. The application and more details are available at nnchamber.com/scholarship

And a shout-out to some women who make Wellesley go round

March is Women’s History Month, and we’d like to give a nod of respect to some of the town’s women-owned businesses. Fun fact: Swelleley’s a women-owned business, too. Here’s a partial list below, with more to follow in our next Business Buzz:

Pure Barre Wellesley

Owner: Katie Fournier
Lift. Tone. Burn. Track
200 Linden St., Linden Square

Tiny Hanger

Owner: Lucia Berman-Rossi
Children’s clothing store
200 Linden St., Linden Square

Clementine

Owner: Judi Rizley
Dress smart, feel beautiful.
30 Church St., Wellesley Square

Cycle Bar

Owner: Nancy R

Are you ready to rock your ride?

386 Washington St., Wellesley Square

The Bar Method

Owners: Courtney Sawicki, Neely Dodge, Rachel Stoff

Experience full-body workouts for your whole self

66 Central St #16, Wellesley Square

Got tips on business openings, closings or whatever, feel free to email us here: [email protected]

Also email us if you’re interested in sponsoring our weekly Wellesley Business Buzz roundup.

Wellesley Business Buzz: Spartan Safe cracks open; Hot Doogy debuts in Natick; Public meeting for marijuana shop proposed near Wellesley line; Wellesley Paper Source carries on; Local women-owned businesses

March 21, 2021 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Our roundup of the latest Wellesley, Mass., business news:

Spartan Safe has cracked open

Spartan Safe has opened its Linden Square showroom so the home security-conscious can peruse their big, strong, fireproof metal safes with electronic or mechanical locks. At 1,000+ pounds, the American-made steel boxes are made to stay put. If you add one to your Wellesley home and later decide to move, you may want to negotiate your safe into the sale as a home fixture— sans your valuables, of course. If potential thieves can’t budge it without risking hernia surgery, maybe your moving team shouldn’t try, either.

Brazilian hot dogs at Hot Doogy of Natick

Not far from the Wellesley line, Hot Doogy has opened on Rte. 9 east in Natick at Sherwood Plaza, and is offering Brazilian hot dogs that are not of the standard dog-and-bun variety. We dropped by for the grand opening last weekend and chowed down.

Public meeting for marijuana shop proposed near Wellesley line

Three companies looking to get a license to set up a recreational marijuana shop in Natick will be holding public forums beginning this week. One location would be just west of the Wellesley line on Rte. 9 at what’s now Nine East Wine Emporium, and that public forum isn’t until March 29. Other proposed locations are also on Rte. 9, including at a former Papa Gino’s location.

Paper Source parent company files for bankruptcy protection, Wellesley store stays open

Stationery company Paper Source got hit hard during the pandemic and has filed for bankruptcy protection on March 2. It has closed 11 stores in New York, Florida, and other states, but the Wellesley location is not on that list.

Paper Source overall had been going strong ahead of the pandemic, and had even bought up some assets from Papyrus, which closed its Wellesley shop last year.

And a shout-out to some women who make Wellesley go round

Beth Urdang Gallery

Owner: Beth Urdang
Contemporary American Art
16 Grove St., Wellesley

London Harness and TUMI Wellesley

Owner: Amy Lynch
Find the perfect gift.
45 Central St., Wellesley

Sara Campbell, Ltd.

Owner: Sara Campbell
An exceptional women’s boutique experience.
200 Linden St., Wellesley

StretchLab and Club Pilates

Owner: Soosie Lazenby
Fitness and wellness for all.
200 Linden St., Wellesley

Got tips on business openings, closings or whatever, feel free to email us here: [email protected]

Also email us if you’re interested in sponsoring our weekly Wellesley Business Buzz roundup.

Dishing about Wellesley’s restaurant scene ahead of Select Board’s Article 21 alcohol license discussion

March 19, 2021 by Bob Brown 2 Comments

The combination of Wellesley’s high rents and loosening-yet-still-strict alcohol rules makes it difficult for entrepreneurs to even consider opening cool new restaurants here.

“You’re charging Boston rents… and [you’ve got] Wellesley regulations,” says Wellesley resident Jeremy Sewall, the chef/owner of Boston’s Row 34 restaurant.. “Those are really things that don’t always add up.”

Sewell spoke during a well-timed panel discussion (recording embedded below) on “Nurturing Wellesley’s Restaurant Scene” orchestrated by the Newton-Needham Regional Chamber. The Chamber which has been stepping up its Wellesley focus, brought together restauranteurs and reps from Wellesley town government and the real estate industry.

Chamber President Greg Reibman kicked off the panel with a general discussion of the restaurant scene in light of the pandemic (it’s looking up, there’s a long road ahead as people gauge their returns to indoor dining, restaurants face challenges with hiring staff in light of reduced public transportation and other issues).

But where it really got interesting was when restauranteurs talked about their hopes and dreams, and what it might take for Wellesley to become a more restaurant-friendly town. Wellesley’s Select Board on Monday, March 22 will discuss Article 21, which would reduce the number of seats below 50 required for a restaurant to get an alcohol license (See also: “Nearly half of Wellesley’s available restaurant alcohol licenses are gathering dust”). Just how far below 50 remains to be seen.

Sewell says Article 21 would be a necessary step, confirming for Reibman that not being able to get an alcohol license as a restaurant would be a “non-starter.” But Sewell, who hasn’t found a way to make the math work on opening a restaurant here, added that plenty of other hurdles remain if Wellesley wants to attract a greater diversity of restaurants. This would include addressing the “cringe-worthy” intent-to-dine rules (needing to order food to buy an alcoholic beverage) and restrictions on bar seats, among other things.

“Today’s restaurant model is not what it was 10, 20, 30 years ago,” he says. One suggestion he has for the town, which has been reluctant to have straight-out bars, is to come up with rules that would specify limits on food vs. alcohol revenue, say 60%-40%, or whatever Wellesley deems appropriate. Another idea would be to have town employees who can really handhold possible new restaurant owners through the entire tangle of Wellesley rules in order to succeed, he says. Without creative thinking, it will continue to be easier to run restaurants in neighboring communities.

Jay Spencer, who owns French Press Bakery & Cafe in one of those communities, says his business benefited from Needham becoming more flexible with its alcohol licensing and related rules. His team closed a pricier and bigger bistro, and focused instead on its popular small cafe, which has a total of 25 indoor/outdoor seats, once that establishment was able to sell alcoholic beverages. “Having food and beer and wine together gives you a different level of service and gives you a different level of profitability,” he says. “And you need that for survival.”

Wellesley’s restrictions not only block potential newcomers but cramp the style of existing Wellesley retailers like Wasik’s Cheese Shop, which got a license to sell beer and wine for off-premises consumption back in 2014. Brad Wasik says his family has toyed with expanding beyond its retail shop and opening a small cheese-and-wine tapas bar with far fewer than 50 seats, but the rule limiting bar seats to 10% of overall capacity is a killer if you have a small place and want to maximize your occupancy.

Laura Wolfe, who along with husband John own The Cottage and the new Wellesley Tavern, doesn’t want Wellesley to become overrun with restaurants, not that that’s close to happening under current conditions. She says there is plenty of room for more of them to revitalize the town.

“Wellesley’s got too many vacancies, and we need retail to come back, we need little boutique restaurants to come back…,” she says. “Just to create that sort of intimacy Wellesley had when I grew up in town and all the stores were busy and it was really a great destination.”

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Wellesley Community Bulletin Board

March 17, 2021 by admin Leave a Comment

Check out the Community Bulletin Board section on The Swellesley Report, a place to find out about exciting events going on in the area.

Featured this week:

TEDx Babson College

An independently organized TED event
Bridging the Gap: Breaking the Norms
April 10, 2021—Virtual, register on Eventbrite

Wellesley Nursery School in the Hills

PreK & Preschool 2 openings for 2021-2022
[email protected]
781-237-9137

Little Arnie’s Cleaning Service

Old-fashioned, white-glove service
[email protected]
617-420-5579

Wellesley Youth Lacrosse

Newton-Wellesley Orthopedic Walk-in

No appointment necessary
978 Worcester St., Wellesley, MA
617-219-1280

Here’s how to have your business or non-profit’s flyer appear on The Swellesley Report’s Community Bulletin Board at a nominal rate.

Wellesley Community Bulletin Board

March 10, 2021 by admin Leave a Comment

Check out the Community Bulletin Board section on The Swellesley Report, a place to find out about exciting events going on in the area.

Featured this week:

Wellesley Youth Lacrosse

Newton-Wellesley Orthopedic Walk-in

No appointment necessary
978 Worcester St., Wellesley, MA
617-219-1280

Elite Edge Skating Club

Learn to skate programs start in April
Boston Sports Institute
900 Worcester St., Wellesley MA
[email protected]

Here’s how to have your flyer appear on The Swellesley Report’s Community Bulletin Board at a nominal rate.

Wellesley Business Buzz: Hipstitch sewing & knitting studio coming to Church Square; WHS seniors with insider knowledge launch Akston Tutoring; Custom Ink opens in Linden Square

March 8, 2021 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Our roundup of the latest Wellesley, MA business news:

Hipstitch sewing & knitting studio coming to Church Square

The rise of the COVID-19 pandemic also gave rise to newfound interest in sewing, knitting, and crafts, and Newton’s Hipstitch is responding to the demand by expanding into Wellesley, at 22 Church St., in mid-April, and then Brookline, on Harvard Street in June.

“Due to the pandemic more people have been stuck at home so they have taken up hobbies, sewing, knitting and crafts,” says Nicola Day, who started Hipswitch 10 years ago. “Before the demand for masks at the beginning of the pandemic, we sold so many DIY hand and machine sewing kits as well as DIY mask kits that came with instructions and materials and a Youtube tutorial.”

When Hipstitch was forced to close its shop temporarily at the start of the pandemic, Day and her team started sewing masks, and received $100K in orders in one weekend after being featured in a local TV news segment. Day says: “We hired subcontractors (anybody who was laid off, tailors and sewers who worked in factories) who were making 1,000 masks a day for us!”

Hipstitch still sells masks, but with the market flooded, Day’s happy to satisfy the remaining demand but move ahead with other plans, like expanding into Wellesley. One silver lining of the pandemic is that some commercial real estate has become more affordable. Hipstitch will move into the former Candy Bar Cosmetics space in Church Square, which looks to be bouncing back with the arrival soon of NatureWorks Landscape as well.

Hipstitch’s current Wellesley customers have urged Day to open in town, which saw another business that offers sewing classes called Sew Easy consolidate its Linden Street business with a Needham location a couple of years ago.

“We have been looking for new spaces for a few years but they were cost prohibitive or not the right location,” says Day, who according to her bio began sewing her own clothes when she was 11 years old. “We wanted a retail space, for the foot traffic and to show people our creative windows , as well as space to be able to sell all the DIY sewing and craft kits we design as well as unique handmade merchandise and sewing machines and sewing and knitting supplies.”

Hipstitch will be adding knitting supplies and lessons for kids, teen and adults at the two new locations. It didn’t make sense to do that at the Newton location, which is just two doors away from a knitting shop.

The Wellesley shop will be offering pre-school fiber art classes, after-school sewing, parent-child classes, parties and camps, its most popular class, Fashion Design, taught and created by a Parsons School of Design graduate who has also worked for Hipstitch since she was 14 years old.

Day says that the lack of sewing, knitting, and craft offerings in school has allowed Hipstitch to fill a void—one that many parents don’t have the skills to fill themselves. She adds that sewing machines, now computerized, are much easier to operate than they used to be.

The popularity of the TV show Project Runway, and an interest by young people in making their own clothes as a way to be environmentally friendly, are other drivers for sewing’s renaissance, Day says. Social media has helped to fuel this interest, she adds.

Hipstitch plays into social media trends by complementing its kits and classes with Youtube tutorials. But Day says one of the attractive things about sewing, knitting, and crafting is that it also can give kids and adults a break from screens.

“We like the fact that they are doing an activity and using their hand and eye coordination and stimulating the creative part of the brain. People (social distanced of course!) like the social aspect of coming together to create unique projects and feel a sense of pride once they complete a project, as well as finding inspiration from other creators and learning new techniques and skills,” Day says.

WHS seniors with insider knowledge launch Akston Tutoring

A new tutoring services poses this question to Wellesley High School (and other) students: If you need help with your school work, why not go with tutors who have actually been through the same classes recently?

Akston Tutoring is the brainchild of a group of Wellesley High School seniors that has been hatched over the past few months. The name “Akston” comes from a character in Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged, a book that espouses the value of hard work and productivity.

WHS senior Nick Lee says he came away with a bad taste in his mouth after meeting with an expensive college consultant, and that has inspired him to ensure that Akston will give clients “accurate advice instead of profitable advice.”

Through the students’ early meetings, WHS senior Jake Merritt says “I began to realize that by creating a platform for qualified high school tutors to meet people who needed help in their classes, we could help a lot of students while also providing employment opportunities for high schoolers.”

One refreshing aspect of Akston is that pricing is transparent: A comparison chart clearly lays out how much the tutoring service’s offerings cost vs. others. Services include academic subject tutoring, SAT and ACT test prep, essay editing, and more. The Gauntlet is “A unique service that has multiple editors look through the same essay to catch every mistake.”

Lee says the pandemic and introduction of hybrid education has actually made the tutors’ jobs a bit easier in that many classes tend to cover less ground. He adds that the Akston crew has also learned a lot about how to best navigate hybrid learning and can offer advice on things like how to effectively communicate online, such as via email, with teachers.

While the four seniors at the heart of Akston Tutoring plan to keep tutoring until they head off for college, they look to pass the business on to younger peers to keep it going indefinitely.

Custom Ink has opened in Linden Square

Custom Ink has opened in Linden Square and the expert team there can customize merch for birthdays, weddings, sports teams, and businesses. You can book an appointment—virtual or in-store—for help creating custom shirts, masks, drinkware, bags, and more.

Got tips on business openings, closings or whatever, feel free to email us here: [email protected]

Also email us if you’re interested in sponsoring our weekly Wellesley Business Buzz roundup.

Wellesley Business Buzz: Wellesley Tavern to open; More small business grants; virtual networking coffee

March 3, 2021 by Bob Brown 2 Comments

Wellesley Tavern to open March 10

Wellesley Tavern is set to open on March 10, bringing a family-friendly vibe to the Linden Square dining scene. Executive Chef Andrew Swanson has put together creative pub fare that includes French onion fondue; loaded sweet potato skins; sushi; pomegranate brussels sprout salad; quinoa tavern bowl; Nashville fried chicken sandwich, short rib tacos; burgers; meatloaf Shepherd’s pie; shrimp scampi risotto; and more.

There are gluten free and vegetarian options, as well as a kids menu with all the things (chicken fingers; grilled cheese; burgers). And this is a tavern, so the beer will flow, and the cocktails shall be mixed.

The casual spot replaces Door No. 7, a more upscale scene that had a two-year run before the pandemic led owners Laura and John Wolfe (who also own The Cottage, across the street) to rethink the whole classy, fine-dining concept. Seriously, who even has the clothes for that anymore? Diners today need a place that welcomes them in last-season’s fleece.

Wellesley Tavern
165 Linden St., Wellesley, MA
781-391-6500
Open daily starting Mar. 10th, noon-10pm

Another word on The Cottage, which has run a take-out only operation for the past couple of months. They officially reopened for dine-in starting on March 1.

More small business grants

The Commonwealth announced a new batch of COVID-19 relief grants totaling $49M this week, and five Wellesley small businesses were among recipients. LINX, which offers camps and enrichment programs, was among those in Wellesley getting relief in the form of grants ranging from $20K to $75K.

Wellesley virtual networking coffee

All Wellesley businesses and nonprofits are invited to a virtual networking event over Zoom on Friday, March 5. The Newton-Needham Regional Chamber event is free for members and nonmembers, and runs from 9:30-10:30am. Register here.

Got tips on business openings, closings or whatever, feel free to email us here: [email protected]

Also email us if you’re interested in sponsoring our weekly Wellesley Business Buzz roundup.

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