It looks like a pub is replacing an upscale restaurant in a Boston suburb that has little in the way of pubs.
According to a source (Lynda Damato McConville), The James Pub & Provisions is opening in Needham, moving into the space on Great Plain Avenue where The Center Cafe had been until closing last month. This jibes with an earlier Patch article that said Stuart Henry and Cormac Dowling are behind the upcoming spot, which Newton-Needham Regional Chamber describes as a family-friendly place with a rich variety of local craft beers and wines available. We are told that Henry has been involved with the Washington Street Tavern in Brookline while Dowling has been at The Abbey (also in Brookline), and it appears that Dowling is also involved in the Washington Street Tavern as well.
The Center Cafe first opened in early 2010, taking over the space where Fava had been.
The address for the new James Pub & Provisions is 1027 Great Plain Avenue, Needham, MA, 02492. Its website is at https://www.thejamespub.com/
[January 14, 2018 update: A message sent to us indicates that James Pub & Provisions hopes to open by the end of the month, and that its concept is influenced by country pubs found in Ireland and England.]
[February 5, 2018 update: According to multiple sources, James Pub & Provisions is now open.]
[Earlier Article]
The Center Cafe in Needham Has Closed
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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Ten Good Places to Get Beer in the Boston Area]
