Winch & Pulley Brewing Company Opens in Framingham

Last fall, it was reported that a new taproom would be opening in the local area, and now we have learned that it is up and running.

According to an article from The MetroWest Daily News, Winch & Pulley is now open in Framingham, and as mentioned in an earlier article here, it has taken over the space on Morton Street where Exhibit 'A' Brewing Company had been before moving to Williamsburg in 2024, and before that, Jack's Abby until it moved to its current home on Clinton Street. The brewery offers several beers on tap while also offering cider and seltzer, and it looks like a beer garden will also be coming at some point as well.

The address for Winch & Pulley is 81 Morton Street, Framingham, MA, 01702. Its website can be found at https://winchandpulley.co/

[Earlier Article]
Winch & Pulley Brewing Company Plans to Open a Taproom and Beer Garden in Framingham

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[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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Framingham Baking Co. in Framingham Is Closing

A bakery west of Boston that is known in part for its pizza is shutting down after more than 100 years in business.

According to multiple source, Framingham Baking Co. in Framingham is closing its doors, with a Facebook post from the Waverly Street spot saying "The End of an Era" while mentioning that it will be shuttering on March 29. Framingham Baking Co., which first opened in 1917, offers such items as sheet pizza, scali bread, rolls, biscotti, Italian cookies, cinnamon rolls, and more.

The address for Framingham Baking Co. is 840 Waverly Street, Framingham, MA, 01702. Its website can be found at https://www.framinghambakingcompany.com/

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[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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The Fresh Market in Framingham Is Closing

A chain of specialty grocery stores with three locations in Eastern Massachusetts will soon be down to two, as its shop west of Boston is shutting down.

According to a poster within the ChewOnThis Facebook group page, The Fresh Market in Framingham is closing its doors, with the shop shuttering at an as-of-yet undisclosed date (it is currently offering 25% off all items other than alcohol, according to the thread). While the Worcester Road store will be closing, it does look like locations in Hingham and Mansfield will remain in operation.

The Framingham outlet of The Fresh Market opened a bit under a year ago.

The address for the soon-to-close Fresh Market in Framingham is 84 Worcester Road (Route 9), Framingham, MA, 01702. The website for the company is at https://www.thefreshmarket.com/

[November 11 update: Based on the website for the business, the Framingham location of The Fresh Market is now closed, as it has been removed from the locations section.]

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[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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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.)

Winch & Pulley Brewing Company Plans to Open a Taproom and Beer Garden in Framingham

A new spot for beer lovers is on its way to a space west of Boston.

According to an article from The MetroWest Daily News, Winch & Pulley Brewing Company is getting ready to open a taproom and beer garden in Framingham in the space on Morton Street where Exhibit 'A' Brewing Company had been before moving to Williamsburg last year, and before that, Jack's Abby before it moved to its current home on Clinton Street. The parent company of the new brewery is Right Coast Brands, and it appears that in addition to its beer options, Winch & Pulley will soon offer canned seltzer as well.

It appears that the Winch & Pulley taproom and beer garden could be opening early next month if all goes as planned.

The address for Winch & Pulley is 81 Morton Street, Framingham, MA, 01702. Its website can be found at https://winchandpulley.co/

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[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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Bombay Baking Co. in Woburn to Expand to Second Location in Framingham

A bakery in the northern suburbs of Boston is expanding to another space, with this one being west of the city.

According to a post within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page from Kiat Cormier of ChewOnThis, Bombay Baking Co. is planning to open in Framingham, with the upcoming location joining its original in Woburn. A What Now Boston article mentions that Koushik “Babu” Koganti of Flying Lion Hospitality Group is behind the business, while the Milford Daily News says that the upcoming shop will sell such options as flatbreads, wraps, kathi rolls, samosas, and savory pastry puffs, with the items being made in Woburn and brought over to Framingham.

The address for the upcoming location of Bombay Baking Co. in Framingham is 495 Worcester Road (Route 9), Framingham, MA, 01701. The website for the business is at https://www.bombaybakingco.boston/

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[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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Exhibit 'A' Brewing Company Is Moving from Framingham to Williamsburg

An award-winning brewery in MetroWest is getting ready to move to the western part of the state.

According to multiple sources, including a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Exhibit 'A' Brewing Company is going to be leaving its Framingham facility and will be reborn in Williamsburg. A Facebook post from the business says the following:

As we think about our core values, long term goals and strategize for the future, Exhibit 'A' Brewing has made the difficult decision to move both our Brewing Operations and Taproom to a new location in Williamsburg, Massachusetts. As part of this transition, we have closed our taproom on Morton Street. Although we are sad to say goodbye to where we initially laid our roots, we could not be more excited for what is to come! The Williamsburg facility boasts incredible New England charm, the details of the craftsmanship in the building setting it apart from any other in the area. Not only does it have indoor and outdoor spaces for both public and private events, it also has a beautifully landscaped patio for a beer garden....when we open the new space, we will continue to offer great events such as comedy shows, beer dinners, local live music, artisan markets, among others at our new location. Additionally, we will offer private event space for get-togethers, family parties, weddings, fundraisers, and celebrations for our patrons and the surrounding communities.

Exhibit 'A' first opened in Framingham in 2016, taking over the space on Morton Street where Jack's Abby had once been (Jack's Abby now resides on Clinton Street). The brewery has gained much in the way of accolades over the past eight years, including Beer Advocate mentioning it in its list of best new breweries in the United States in 2016.

The website for Exhibit 'A' Brewing Company can be found at https://www.exhibit-a-brewing.com/

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[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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Jack's Abby in Framingham May Open a Bakery

by Marc Hurwitz

A brewery west of Boston that moved to a much larger space a few years ago and has since expanded within its space could be adding something new to the facility.

The Framingham TAB is reporting that Jack's Abby in Framingham is planning to make renovations to a warehouse area within its Clinton Street building, with the section including office and retail space a bakery being considered among its plans. The proposal, which is expected to be looked at by the Planning Board this Thursday, would apparently be used for the making of pizza and pretzels and while the bakery area would mainly be used for offerings at the restaurant on the premises, they are looking into having it be open to the public as its own business at some point.

In addition to its brewery and restaurant/beer hall area, the Jack's Abby space also includes the Springdale Barrel Room, which focuses on barrel-aged beers.

The address for Jack's Abby and the Springdale Barrel Room is 100-102 Clinton Street, Framingham, MA, 01702. The website for Jack's Abby can be found at https://jacksabby.com/ while the website for the Springdale Barrel Room is at https://springdalebeer.com/

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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]

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Jack's Abby in Framingham Opening Springdale Barrel Room in Adjacent Building

A brewery west of Boston that moved to a much larger space last year has just expanded even more--though it is not yet known what the specific plans are for the new space.

Boston Magazine is reporting (via a MetroWest Daily News article), that Jack's Abby in Framingham has signed a lease for a building that is connected to its present facility on Clinton Street, effectively doubling the total size of the business. The post says that the exact plans for the second building have not been disclosed, though it appears part of it could include a tasting room; it looks like more details on the building's use will come out later this month after a Framingham Planning Board meeting take place.

Jack's Abby's original home had been on Morton Street until last year when it made the move to Clinton Street, giving the company almost six times more space. (Exhibit A Brewing Company now resides in its old spot.)

The website for Jack's Abbey can be found at http://jacksabbybrewing.com/

[September 15 update: The Boston Globe confirms what a source told us earlier this week, that the new space Jack's Abby is taking over will include a 5,000-square-foot tap room along with space for its growing specialty barrel-aging program for wine and bourbon-aged beers. (The building will also be used for warehouse space.]

[October 14 update: Boston Magazine mentions (via MetroWest Daily News) that the new space will be called Springdale Barrel Room, with Jack's Abby cofounder Jack Hendler saying "It's going to be like a different brewery." (The building will have a totally separate business model from Jack's Abby and it will have its own staff.) If all goes as planned, Springdale Barrel Room will open this winter.]

[December 14 update: According to a Facebook post from Jack's Abby, Springdale Barrel Room debuts tomorrow (Thursday. December 15) at 4:00 PM, with "sours, games, ales, good times."]

[Earlier Article]
Jack's Abby in Framingham Is Moving, Opening Restaurant within New Space

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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]

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Exhibit A Brewing Company to Open in Jack's Abby's Old Brewery in Framingham

A new brewery is coming to the region, and it will be moving into the facility where another brewery had been until moving to a bigger space nearby.

Boston Magazine is reporting that Exhibit A Brewing Company is planning to open in Framingham this summer, taking over the old Jack's Abby space on Morton Street. (Jack's Abby has since moved to the Dennison Building on Clinton Street.) An article from Eater Boston says that Matthew Steinberg, who is behind the upcoming brewery, has worked at such places as Harpoon, High Horse, John Harvard's, Off Shore Brewing Company, and Rapscallion, leaving the High Horse (which is in Amherst) in September to start working on Exhibit A.

It looks like the new brewery will include a taproom along with a retail area, and the hope is that its beers will also be available on draft at restaurants and bars in Massachusetts that come from a "focused list" put together by Steinberg. A few beers that could be coming from Exhibit A include a few pale ales along with a porter and "a project of various coffee beers."

The address for this upcoming brewery in Framingham is: Exhibit A Brewing Company, 81 Morton Street, Framingham, MA, 01702. Its  Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/Exhibit-A-Brewing-Company-457720264425358/

[May 26 update: Eater Boston mentions (via The Boston Globe) that Exhibit A Brewing Company hopes to begin brewing beer by mid-June and officially opening its doors in August.]

[June 24 update: A new post from Eater Boston states that Exhibit A has gotten its brewing license and is hoping to begin test batches of beer next week if all goes as planned.]

[August 18 update: Eater Boston states that Exhibit A Brewing Company opens to the public on August 31, with a grand opening celebration taking place September 3.]

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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]

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