Bertucci's Pronto Has Its Grand Opening in Downtown Boston on April 23

Last fall, it was reported that a local chain of Italian restaurants was planning to bring a brand new takeout-friendly concept to Boston, and now we have learned that it is just about ready to debut.

According to a press release, Bertucci's cis slated to have its grand opening in the downtown area of the city on April 23, with its website mentioning that the Tremont Street spot will be a counter-service place that also has online ordering, and it will offer brick oven pizza, breakfast dishes, salads, sandwiches, and pasta options.

Bertucci's was established in 1981 in Somerville's Davis Square and is now headquartered in Northborough.

The address for Bertucci's Pronto is 22 Tremont Street, Boston, MA, 02108. Its web page can be found at https://www.bertuccis.com/locations/pronto-tremont/

[Earlier Article]
Bertucci's Pronto Plans to Open in Boston 

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Bertucci's Pronto Plans to Open in Boston

A local chain of Italian restaurants is bringing a brand new concept to the heart of Boston.

According to a press release, Bertucci's Pronto is planning to open on Tremont Street by Government Center, with this being the first location of the "expedited, take-out-friendly" dining spot from the Bertucci's chain. Once it opens next spring, the new 34-seat eatery will offer such options as breakfast pizza and breakfast sandwiches, along with salads, rolls, lunch/early dinner sandwiches, and their signature brick oven pizzas.

Bertucci's first started out in 1981 in Somerville's Davis Square and is currently headquartered in Northborough; its website can be found at https://www.bertuccis.com/

Adam Gaffin of Universal Hub tells us that Bertucci's Pronto will be on the section of Tremont Street near Court and Cambridge streets.

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

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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 Dubliner Is Opening in the Former Kinsale Space in Downtown Boston

Last fall, it was reported that a popular Irish pub in the heart of Boston had shut down permanently. Now we have learned that a new Irish restaurant and bar will be taking over the space.

According to a source, The Dubliner is opening in the space at Two Center Plaza that had been home to The Kinsale, with the website for the place showing a logo that indicates it plans to be "Boston's premium Irish bar" while featuring live music and sports (its Facebook page says it will be an "Authentic Irish Pub & Restaurant featuring Boston's best in hospitality, food, drinks, live music & sport"). No other information has been given on its website or its LinkedIn page, including who might be behind it or when it could open, so stay tuned for updates.

The Kinsale announced its closure in October after there had been hope that it could open back up; a note posted by Classic Restaurant Concepts, LLC--which also shut down The Asgard in Cambridge's Central Square at the same time--said that "In September 2020 an attempt was made to reopen, but with office buildings largely empty it proved unfeasible and the pubs ceased operations after four weeks. While the intention was always to reopen, the timeframe proved to be too daunting. Weeks turned to months, and the months dragged on. Both establishments were lucky enough to have cooperative landlords, but in the end even that, and PPP assistance, were not enough." (The Kinsale first opened its doors in 1998.)

The address for The Dubliner is 2 Center Plaza, Boston, MA, 02108. Its website is at https://www.thedublinerboston.com/ while its Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/thedublinerboston/

[February 25 update: According to a press release, Irish chef Aidan Mc Gee--who has worked at multiple Michelin-starred restaurants in England--and the East Coast Tavern Group (Emmet's, Roxanne's, Scholars, Carrie Nation, Sunset Cantina) are behind The Dubliner, which will offer such items as slow-cooked beef cheeks, fish and chips, shepherd's pie, curried mussels, Maine crabs on soda bread, and a Sunday roast.]

[June 27 update: A Facebook post from Oran McGonagle indicates that The Dubliner officially opened at 4:00 PM today.]

[Earlier Article]
The Kinsale and The Asgard Have Closed Permanently

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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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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Panera Cares at Boston's Center Plaza Is Closing

by Marc Hurwitz

A nonprofit "pay-what-you-can" concept from a chain of bakery-cafes is closing its final location, which happens to be in the heart of downtown Boston.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Panera Cares Community Cafe at Center Plaza is shutting down, with a Bloomberg article confirming this, saying that the eatery will close on February 15 because the business model was not sustainable. The Bloomberg post mentions that an email from Panera Bread says "Despite our commitment to this mission, it's become clear that continued operation of the Boston Panera Cares is no longer viable....We're working with the current bakery-cafe associates affected by the closure to identify alternate employment opportunities within Panera and Au Bon Pain."

Panera Cares, which opened its Boston location six years ago, looked to the concept as being a way to address hunger with customers giving a suggested donation for their food items--and those donations would presumably cover the operating costs of the shop while also allowing free food to people who could not afford to pay. Other Panera Cares locations in Chicago, Portland, OR, Dearborn, MI, and Clayton, MO have closed down, according to the article.

The address for Panera Cares is 3 Center Plaza, Boston, MA, 02108.

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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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1000 Degrees Neapolitan Pizza Is Opening in Boston

A New Jersey-based group of Neapolitan pizza spots may be on its way to the heart of downtown Boston.

According to a licensing board hearing page on the City of Boston website, 1000 Degrees Neapolitan Pizza is planning to open on Court Street near Government Center and City Hall Plaza, with the place looking to have two rooms, outdoor seating during the warmer months, and alcohol available (it is applying for a Malt, Wine, and Liqueur License). If approved, the new pizzeria would be the first one in Massachusetts and only the second in New England, with the other being in Jewett City, CT.

1000 Degrees Neapolitan Pizza is known for its thin-crust pies that are cooked for approximately two minutes in a 1,000-degree oven. The chain was established in 2014, according to its website.

The address for this new pizzeria in downtown Boston is: 1000 Degrees Neapolitan Pizza, 45 Court Street, Boston, MA, 02108. The website for all locations can be found at http://www.1000degreespizza.com/

[July 20 update: 1000 Degrees Neapolitan Pizza could be one step closer to opening in downtown Boston by next week, as a new licensing board hearing page indicates that a hearing will take place on July 26 on its request for a common victualler license.]

[August 23 update: Eater Boston states that 1000 Degrees Neapolitan Pizza opens its doors tomorrow in downtown Boston and to celebrate, free pizza will be offered to customers until it runs out.]

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Twelve Pizzas in the Boston Area and Beyond]

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Boston Winter Opens at City Hall Plaza

A few months ago, we mentioned that a seasonal shopping and entertainment complex was headed for downtown Boston, and now we have learned that it is open.

Eater Boston is reporting that Boston Winter has its grand opening at City Hall Plaza today at 3:00 PM and it includes chalets set up for food vendors and retailers, a beer garden, and an ice skating path (which is weather-dependent), along with a Bavarian Village for December only that offers such items as fondue, pretzels, bratwurst, sauerkraut, and mulled wine. Hours for Boston Winter are  11:00 AM to 9:00 PM (shopping stalls close at 7:00 PM) Sunday through Thursday and 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM (shopping stalls close at 8:00 PM) on Fridays and Saturdays.

More information on Boston Winter can be found at http://cityhallplazaboston.com/

[Earlier Article]
City Hall Plaza Plans Now Include Beer Garden, But No Restaurant (for Now)

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Saladworks in Downtown Boston Has Closed

A Pennsylvania-based restaurant chain that features salads, soups, and sandwiches has closed its downtown Boston location, leaving only one remaining in Massachusetts.

According to a Twitter post from @ConciergeBoston, Saladworks on Tremont Street by Government Center is no longer in operation, with a sign out front thanking customers for their business. A check on the Saladworks website shows that the sole remaining shop in the state is at the CambridgeSide Galleria in East Cambridge, with no others found in New England.

In February of 2015, we had reported that the Saladworks chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, though in November of 2015, it was reported that Saladworks was planning an expansion that would include a number of shops in the Boston area over the next three or four years.

The address for this now-closed dining spot in downtown Boston was: Saladworks, 22 Tremont Street, Boston, MA, 02108. The website for the chain can be found at http://saladworks.com/

[Earlier Articles]
Saladworks to Expand; Multiple Locations Coming to the Boston Area
Saladworks Declares Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

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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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City Hall Plaza Plans Now Include Beer Garden, But No Restaurant (for Now)

Over the past couple of years, plans for an entertainment complex have been in the works for City Hall Plaza in Boston, and earlier this year, we reported that a restaurant and bar could be part of the plans. Now we have learned that this proposal has fallen through--at least temporarily--though a new proposal may be of interest to those looking to have an adult beverage at the plaza.

According to an article in The Boston Globe, Boston Garden Development Corp. now has a "less ambitious" plan in place for a winter garden at the plaza, with the plans initially including a beer garden, though the earlier proposal for a restaurant is on the shelf for now because of a lack of utilities (including electricity and plumbing) at the site. The first phase of the project would also include 40 to 50 holiday market vendor stalls as well as an ice-skating path, and the proposals for the restaurant along with an "observation wheel" could be revisited at some point in the future.

The Globe says that the beer garden, vendor stalls, and skating path hope to open to the public on the Friday after Thanksgiving of this year, with most of the vendors wrapping up at the end of the year and the rest of the winter garden shutting down around the end of February.

[Earlier Article]
Polar Bar/City Bistro Could Open at Boston's City Hall Plaza

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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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Polar Bar/City Bistro Could Open at Boston's City Hall Plaza

In late 2014, we reported that a new restaurant and bar might be on its way to downtown Boston, and that it could be part of a bigger entertainment complex. Now we have learned a bit more about the proposed dining spot as well as the complex.

The Boston Herald mentions that The Anthem Group is looking to open a 20,000-square-foot, 500-person "hospitality venue" that would include a restaurant called The Polar Bar in the winter and City Bistro in the summer, with the glass-enclosed eatery overlooking a skating rink during the colder months. The article says that the dining spot would offer regional, seasonal New England fare including special holiday meals on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Hanukkah, along with clambakes and cookouts during the summer. The venue itself would be called Winter Landing during the colder months and summer landing during the warmer months, according to the Herald.

The Anthem Group was scheduled to meet with the city yesterday to talk about the proposal.

[Earlier Article]
The Polar Bar Planned for Boston's City Hall Plaza


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Finagle a Bagel in Boston's Center Plaza Is Closing

It looks like another location of a local group of bagel shops is shutting down.

According to a licensing board page within the City of Boston website, Finagle a Bagel at Center Plaza in downtown Boston is planning to close in December, with the post saying that they have canceled their common victualler license. It appears that existing locations within MGH, in Boston's Back Bay, and the kiosk within the Kinko's building in Chestnut Hill remain open, though their website shows that their other Chestnut Hill shop is temporarily closed. Finagle a Bagel's products can also be found at various grocery stores in the region, including Roche Bros., Whole Foods, Shaw's, Market Basket, and others.

A number of Finagle a Bagel cafes have shuttered over the years, with locations in Boston's Financial District, Tremont Street by Boston Common, Brookline's Coolidge Corner, Burlington, Cambridge's Harvard Square, East Cambridge, Charlestown, Swampscott, Wayland, West Roxbury, and others all being out of business.

The address for this soon-to-close bagel shop in Boston is: Finagle a Bagel, 1 Center Plaza, Boston, MA, 02108. The website for the company can be found at http://www.finagleabagel.com/

[December 10 update: According to a post from the Boston Hospitality and Tourism Industry Blog, Finagle a Bagel at Center Plaza closes on Friday, December 18.]

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Ten Items from Bakeries and Pastry Shops in the Boston Area and Beyond]

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The Polar Bar Planned for Boston's City Hall Plaza

It looks like a new restaurant and bar is on its way to the heart of Boston--and it will also be part of a complex that includes a skating rink.

According to a job post within the Craigslist site, The Polar Bar will be opening at City Hall Plaza as part of what appears to be a temporary attraction called Winter's Landing. The post says that the 20,000-square-foot full-service dining and drinking spot will have two floors of space with high ceilings and 360-degree glass walls, and it will overlook a new Olympic-sized skating rink at the plaza called Frozen Harbor. The Polar Bar will be open for brunch, lunch, and dinner seven days a week, with what is being called a "contemporary" menu.

It is not yet known when The Polar Bar might be opening; as soon as we find out more, we will post an update here.

[December 8 update: BostInno is reporting that The Polar Bar (and Winter's Landing) will not be opening this winter after all, though it appears that it may be opening for the winter of 2015/2016 if all goes well.]

The Facebook page for Winter's Landing can be found at https://www.facebook.com/WintersLanding

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Zoup! in Boston's Government Center Has Closed

A Michigan-based group of quick-casual restaurants that feature soup has closed its sole Boston location, though it appears that the company may be looking to open another one in the area at some point.

According to a Twitter post sent yesterday, Zoup! in Government Center has shut its doors, citing the fact that "the owner had health issues." The post does mention that "[they] hope to be back to the area soon!"

In addition to soup, the Zoup! franchises also offer salads and sandwiches along with baked goods and beverages. Locations can be found in a handful of states and in Ontario, with the only remaining New England store being in Glastonbury, CT.

The address for this now-closed eatery in Government Center was: Zoup!, 3 Center Plaza, Boston, MA, 02108. The website for Zoup! can be found at http://www.zoup.com/

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