Around Town

Several Openings Anticipated at Arsenal Yards in Coming Months

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Arsenal YardsArsenal Yards in Watertown, already featuring several restaurants and retailers, has several new additions coming in 2022 and early 2023. The following information was provided by Arsenal Yards:

Arsenal Yards, the thriving new neighborhood in Watertown from Boylston Properties and Wilder, is celebrating continued growth and development with the opening of many highly anticipated dining, shopping, fitness, and entertainment venues throughout the neighborhood this summer and fall.  

Since its official redevelopment and expansion at the site of the former Arsenal Mall in 2017, the lively 1 million + square foot mixed-use neighborhood has flourished into a dynamic destination and neighborhood hub. Residents and visitors alike can eat, live, work, play, and experience all that the high-energy community in Watertown’s historic East End has to offer with dining, shopping, and entertainment right at their fingertips.  

With the goal of further expanding its lineup of popular restaurants, retailers and service and entertainment offerings, Arsenal Yards is eager to welcome many exciting additions to the neighborhood this year. Openings coming soon include Pokeworks, Taffer’s Tavern, Restore Hyper Wellness, Central Rock Gym, Bond Vet, and F45 Training, along with new offerings including a Starbucks, James Joseph Salon, AT&T and GNC all slated to open before the end of the year, and KinderCare in early 2023. Blvd & Bond, the neighborhood’s residential offering with 302 units across three buildings, is nearly 100 percent leased, while all life science space within Arsenal Yards and the new building at 100 Forge is entirely leased as well.

Business

“Bar Rescue” Star’s Restaurant Hiring at Watertown Location

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Taffer’s Tavern is opening at Watertown’s Arsenal Yards in 2022. Bar Rescue’s Jon Taffer will be opening a restaurant in Watertown, and the restaurant is now hiring. Taffer’s Tavern aims to open in the fall of 2022, according to RestaurantNews.com. Taffer, the star of the Paramount Network show, stopped by the space in Arsenal Yards in May. The description on the Arsenal Yards website says: “Taffer’s is the quintessential pub, a place to meet old friends while making new ones.

Business

Italian Eatery With Spots in Brookline & Newport Moving Into Watertown Square

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Newport Restaurant GroupBar ‘Cino is slated to move into the space previously occupied by Stellina Restaurant. An Italian restaurant will be taking over the space previously occupied by Stellina Restaurant in Watertown Square. Bar ‘Cino (pronounced “chee-no”) is part of a the Newport Restaurant Group that includes other locations of Bar ‘Cino in Brookline and Newport, R.I., the Papa Razzi restaurants in Wellesley and Concord, as well as the Castle Hill Inn in Newport. The Brookline menu includes pizzas, pastas, entrees, bruschetta, and salads, among other dishes. The restaurant will be located at 47 Main St.

Business

Watertown Restaurant a Finalist in National Contest for “Serving Their Community”

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Watertown’s Ritcey East has chosen as one of five finalists in a contest run by Toast for restaurants who make a difference in their communities. The winner will received $10,000, and voting is now open. The restaurant on Waverley Avenue, is “serving up a safe place for the LGBTQ+ community and a fresh take on comfort food,” according to Toast. Ritcey East was nominated by a fan of the restaurant because it is “a small, queer-owned biz that kept all their staff during the pandemic and continues to partner with local charities.” Say hello to our Built for You $10k Contest Finalist, Ritcey East!

Arsenal Yards

New Revolving Sushi Bar Opens at Arsenal Yards

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Jakob LaymanSome of the more that 140 offerings at Kura Sushi at Arsenal Yards. Arsenal Yards proudly announced that Kura Sushi USA, Inc., a technology-enabled Japanese restaurant concept known for its revolving sushi bars, opened their first New England restaurant at Arsenal Yards, the thriving new neighborhood located along the Charles River in Watertown, Massachusetts. Established in the United States in 2008, the 37th Kura Revolving Sushi Bar location at 101 Bond Square, Watertown, MA 02472 brings the freshest sushi and most authentic Japanese cuisine to the Greater Boston community. With a focus on premium ingredients and a distinctive dining experience, Kura Sushi adheres to the Japanese virtue and philosophy of serving healthy and natural meals in a unique setting. Since the first restaurant opening in Japan in 1977, the Kura Sushi brand offers more than 500 locations across Japan, Taiwan and the United States.

Around Town

Charles River Chamber Teaming With Local Restaurants to Provide Food Assistance, Resources for Eateries

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The following announcement was provided by the Charles River Chamber:

Food Assistance Grant Program – Applications Now Open

The chamber has received funding to support independent Watertown restaurants while providing food assistance to local residents in need. We’ll be ordering individually packaged meals from restaurant partners (at a flat rate of $20 per meal plus tax) to distribute to local food pantries, senior and family programs and other persons in need within the city. Right now, we’re gauging interest and potential meal offerings (that would be both well balanced, but also profitable for your restaurant) via this Restauarnt Partner Application Form. After you are approved as a restaurant partner, we’ll reach out with more specifics as to individual order dates, quantities, etc. The program will launch late March, extend at least through the spring and we hope to support as many Watertown restaurants as possible through this initiative.

Business

Watertown Restaurant Combines Caribbean & Mediterranean Cuisine, With a Healthy Flair

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Meghan CroninSome of the dishes served at Nzuko in Watertown, which offers Mediterranean and Caribbean inspired food. Located a couple blocks off Main Street, one of Watertown’s newest restaurants offers a unique combination of Caribbean and Mediterranean food, with an emphasis on healthy preparations. Nzuko opened in November, and offers a wide range of dishes inspired by multiple cuisines, said chef Laurette Ndukwe. “I’m from the Caribbean and the manager is from Jordan, and then we have my son, who is an African-American from here, and we have Brazilians in the kitchen, so we have a multicultural flair in the restaurant,” Ndukwe said. Nzuko’s first location was in Framingham, but many diners lived west of Boston (or in the city), so they asked if Ndukwe could open another restaurant closer to Boston.

Business

New Restaurant on Arsenal Street Packs Flavors from Around the Globe into Takeout Dishes

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Flavor Boom!Six of the 10 entrees served up at Flavor Boom!, which opened recently on Arsenal Street. A pair of foodies have opened up their own restaurant in Watertown that serves up bold dishes from around the world which are designed to be taken out and enjoyed at home or work. Flavor Boom! began about three months ago in a space in a commercial block on Arsenal Street, and now has a menu with 10 entrees inspired by the cooking of places like China, Spain, Indonesia, France and Thailand. Owner Jim Tao said he came up with about half of the dishes and the others were the creation of his cooking partner Harry Liao, or “Chef Harry.”