Fastachi
Inside Fastachi;s new location in Beacon Hill in Boston.
Having become a Mt. Auburn Street fixture, Fastachi has expanded its retail presence by opening a second location in Boston.
In March, the store that specializes in nuts and other food items moved into a new location at 83 Charles St. in Boston’s Beacon Hill. The store at 598 Mt. Auburn Street in Watertown, however, remains the center of production for the business, said owner Souren Etyemezian.
Fastachi (www.fastachi.com) receives shipments of nuts from suppliers and packages them and makes them into their own creations.
“We make some of our own chocolate, we make our own bark and grind our own nut butters,” Etyemezian said. “We have eight varieties.”
The store originally opened in 1990 in Belmont, and the moved to Mt. Auburn Street about 12 years ago. The spot in Coolidge Square has become a bit of a foodie destination.
“Where else can you find four of rive food stores in one intersection,” Etyemezian said. “It’s a Little Armenia.”
Etyemezian hopes new store is just the first expansion into Boston.
“We are waiting to hear back from the Public Market in Boston to see if we will have a space there,” Etyemezian said, referring to the indoor public market that will be built near Haymarket.
Fastachi’s reach, however, is much broader than its retail stores.
“Our main focus is retail, but we also sell online,” Etyemezian said. “We have a lot of repeat customers from across the nation.”
The store also provides products for a variety of places. You will see Fastachi products at some Landmark Theaters and Whole Foods locations, high-end hotels, Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge and at Pemberton Farms. You will also see Etyemezian out at local farmers markets, including Watertown and Copley Square in Boston.
“I enjoy it,” said Etyemezian, who enjoys meeting owners of other stands at the markets.