Boston Restaurant Talk

Thursday, April 25, 2024

justBook-ish Plans to Open in Dorchester

It looks like a new bookstore/cafe may be on its way to a Boston neighborhood.

According to a licensing board hearing page within the City of Boston website, justBook-ish is planning to open in Dorchester, moving into a space on Dorchester Avenue in the Fields Corner area. The notice mentions that the place is seeking a beer and wine license and would include a retail bookshop and cafe with seating for 17 on the ground floor of a new building called Dot Crossing.

More should be known about the plans for justBook-ish by the middle of next week, so stay tuned for details.

The address for the proposed justBook-ish is 1463-1467 Dorchester Avenue, Dorchester, MA, 02122.

[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Chick'n More to Open in the Former Boston Market Space in Saugus

A new chicken spot is on its way to Route 1 a few miles north of Boston, and it will be replacing a location of a chain known in part for its chicken dishes.

According to an article in Itemlive, Chick'n More is going to be opening in the space where a location of Boston Market had been, with the post indicating that it is slated to open on May 1. Very little is known about the upcoming dining spot including what its menu might include, so keep checking back for updates as they come in.

The Saugus location of Boston Market closed down last fall, along with a location in Waltham; another location in Medford recently shut down as well.

The address for Chick'n More is 168 Broadway (Route 1), Saugus, MA, 01906.

[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

H Mart Appears to Be Opening in Somerville's Davis Square

It looks like an Asian supermarket chain is going to be opening a new location in Somerville, confirming chatter that has been taking place for a number of months now.

According to an article in The Tufts Daily, H Mart is planning to open in Davis Square, moving into the space on Elm Street that had been home to a location of bfresh. The article states that employees at locations in Burlington and Cambridge mentioned the upcoming opening, with one worker indicating that it could be opening sometime this summer. (An earlier LLC filing seems to confirm the planned opening as well.)

In addition to the Burlington and Cambridge locations, H Mart (which first started out in Queens in 1982) also has two other Boston-area outlets in Brookline and Quincy, and another one may be coming to Medford as well.

The address for the upcoming location of H Mart in Davis Square is 240 Elm Street, Somerville, MA, 02144. The website for the company can be found at https://www.hmart.com/

[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Mission on Fire to Open in the Former Sofia Italian Steakhouse Space in West Roxbury

A local restaurant group is bringing a new dining spot to West Roxbury, taking over the space where a steakhouse had been until shutting down last month.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Mission on Fire is planning to open in the former Sofia Italian Steakhouse space on VFW Parkway, with the sign for the place showing a similar logo to that of Mission on the Bay in Swampscott, Mission Oak Grill in Newburyport, and Mission Boathouse in Beverly, all of which are operated by the Mission Restaurant Group. Very little information is out as of yet on the upcoming spot, including what might be on its menu and when it could open, so keep checking back for updates.

Sofia Italian Steakhouse shut down in early March after being in business for 16 years.

The address for the upcoming Mission on Fire is 1430 VFW Parkway, West Roxbury, MA, 02132.

[Earlier Article]
Sofia Italian Steakhouse in West Roxbury Is Closing

[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

Clover Food Lab Is Emerging from Bankruptcy, Announces Expansion Plans

A local restaurant chain that features vegetarian fare is exiting bankruptcy and is now looking to expand.

According to a press release, Clover Food Lab is emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy this week, using the time from last November to now to restructure while closing its outlets in Boston's Copley Square and Somerville's Assembly Row along with a Dedham warehouse. They are now looking to add to their current group of 13 restaurants, with the 5-year plan including 47 new outlets (initially opening locations in the Greater Boston area and then elsewhere in New England), focusing on smaller outlets in urban locations and around universities.

The website for Clover (which started out as a food truck by MIT in 2008) is at https://www.cloverfoodlab.com/

[Earlier Article]
Clover Food Lab Has Filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

Grasshopper Vegan Restaurant in Allston Is Closing

An Asian dining spot that features vegan food is shutting down, though it could be reborn in a new space.

According to multiple sources, including a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Grasshopper Vegan Restaurant in Allston is getting ready to close, with a note on the N Beacon Street eatery saying, "Due to leasing disagreements Grasshopper Vegan will be ceasing operations on May 29, 2024." Another note mentions something about following their Facebook page for a reopening location and date, but no details have been given on that as of yet.

Grasshopper first opened 27 years ago, offering meatless takes on Asian fare, including a variety of Chinese and Southeast Asian dishes.

The address for Grasshopper Vegan Restaurant 1 N Beacon Street, Allston, MA, 02134.

[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)