Olympia Restaurant in Lowell Has Closed Permanently

A Greek restaurant north of Boston that had been around for nearly 75 years--and whose status has been in question for awhile--has closed for good.

According to a message sent from Scott Whitley of Wicked Bites, the Olympia Restaurant in Lowell is shuttered, with a Facebook post on Sunday from the Market Street spot saying the following:

To the generations of customers and friends who walked through the doors of the Olympia Restaurant, we say thank you. Thank you for your loyalty, your stories, your laughter, your tears, and your unwavering support. Many of you came in as customers and left as lifelong friends. You celebrated milestones with us, and you stood by us through the decades. You became part of our extended family. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for allowing our family to serve yours for more than seven decades. We cherish the memories, friendships, and love shared there that will stay with us forever.

The Olympia Restaurant, which first opened in 1952, shut down in the fall of 2024 though they announced that they planned to reopen early in 2025, but it has remained shuttered with no specifics on whether it might return.. 

The address for the now-closed Olympia Restaurant was 453 Market Street, Lowell, MA, 01854.

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

---

[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.)

Restaurant News for the Week Ending February 15, 2026

Below are some of the biggest restaurant and food-related news stories that have been posted between February 9, 2026, and February 15, 2026.

---

Boston Harbor Distillery to Open a Beverage Garden in the Former Trillium Space on The Greenway in Downtown Boston
A familiar name will be replacing a popular outdoor beer garden in the heart of Boston.
Full Story

Casa Tua Cucina, Estiatorio Milos Among the New Businesses Coming to the Neiman Marcus Space at Copley Place
The Boston location of a chain of upscale department stores is closing, and now we have learned that a couple of options for food will be among the new places coming to the space.
Full Story

Barrel House Z in Weymouth Has Closed
A local brewery that resided on the South Shore for approximately ten years has very quietly shut down.
Full Story

Willie's to Open in Boston's Beacon Hill
A local restaurant group will be opening another dining spot, with this one focusing in part on pizza.
Full Story

Behan Caffe Plans to Open in Jamaica Plain
A new cafe may be on its way to JP, and it appears that it may have a connection to an iconic Irish pub next door.
Full Story

---

[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.)

  

Sam Walker's American Tavern to Open in the Former Bamboo Space in Bedford

A pair of comfort food spots with locations north of Boston will soon be joined by a third location, with this one north of the city as well.

According to a source (Gary Goldblatt), Sam Walker's American Tavern is making plans to open in Bedford this summer, with a Bedford Citizen article indicating that it will move into the former Bamboo space on Burlington Road, just east of the Route 3 intersection and near the Burlington line. Once it opens, the new location will join others in Woburn and Swampscott, and expect to see such options as chicken and waffles, quesadillas, sandwiches, pizza, seafood dishes, macaroni and cheese, and beer, wine, and cocktails.

Sam Walker's is part of Maverick Hospitality, which operates Lucy's American Tavern, The Bowery Bar, Cityside Tavern, Chubbs Taco & Tequila Bar, and Layla's.

The address for the upcoming location of Sam Walker’s American Tavern in Burlington is 213 Burlington Road, Bedford, MA, 01730. The website for all locations is at https://www.samwalkers.com/

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

---

[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.)

Boston Harbor Distillery to Open a Beverage Garden in the Former Trillium Space on The Greenway in Downtown Boston

Last month it was reported that a popular outdoor beer garden would not be returning to its space in downtown Boston, and now we have learned that a familiar name will be replacing it.

According to a press release, Boston Harbor Distillery will be taking over the space on the Rose Kennedy Greenway that had previously been home to Trillium Garden on The Greenway, with the distillery--which is based in the Port Norfolk section of Dorchester--setting up a family-friendly beverage garden that offers cocktails, mocktails, beer, wine, and locally-produced snacks. This follows the news in January that Trillium would not be returning to the space after being there since 2017.

The Boston Harbor Distillery beverage garden (which opens this spring) will be across from the Boston Harbor Hotel and International Place at the corner of High Street and Atlantic Avenue. The website for the business is at https://bostonharbordistillery.com/

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

---

[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.)

Saigonesee to Open in South Weymouth

A brand new Vietnamese Coffee Shop is on its way to the South Shore.

According to a message sent to us, Saigonesee is planning to open in South Weymouth, moving into a space at The Point apartment complex on Trotter Road next to the commuter rail station. The upcoming shop plans to offer such options as banh mi, spring rolls, coffee, and milk tea, with proposed hours being 5:30 AM to 7 PM. If all goes as planned, Saigonesee will open sometime in April.

The address for the upcoming Saigonesee is 39 Trotter Road, Weymouth, MA, 02190.

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

---

[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.)

Casa Tua Cucina, Estiatorio Milos Among the New Businesses Coming to the Neiman Marcus Space at Copley Place in Boston

The Boston location of a chain of upscale department stores is closing, and now we have learned that a couple of options for food will be among the new places coming to the space.

According to an article within the boston.com website, Casa Tua Cucina and Estiatorio Milos are planning to open within the Neiman Marcus space at Copley Place in the Back Bay, with the former being a location of a group of high-end Italian marketplaces that was first established in Miami in 2001, while the latter will be a location of a group of Greek seafood restaurants that got its start in Montreal in 1979. It appears that construction on the space (which will also include multiple luxury boutiques) will start later this year, with phased openings taking place in 2028.

The Copley Place location of Neiman Marcus first opened in 1984; its parent company (Saks Global) filed for bankruptcy last month.

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

---

[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.)