Render Coffee in Boston's South End Is Closing

The original location of what had once been a small group of coffee bars is shutting down, leaving only one remaining.

According to a poster within the South End Community Board Facebook group page, Render Coffee on Columbus Avenue is planning to close on April 5, with another poster showing a photo of a sign out front saying "Coming Soon: New Bakery/Coffee Generation." Once the South End location of Render Coffee, closes, the only location left will be in Boston's Seaport District; there had also been outlets in the Financial District and Charlestown, but those are no longer in operation.

The South End location of Render first opened in 2012, taking over the space where Uptown Espresso had once been.

The address for Render Coffee is 563 Columbus Avenue, Boston, MA, 02119. The website for the business is at https://www.rendercoffeebar.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.)

Clear Flour Coffee Opens Next to Clear Flour Bread in Brookline

The people behind a popular Brookline bakery have opened a coffee bar next door.

According to a source (Gary Goldblatt), Clear Flour Coffee is now open, joining the adjacent Clear Flour Bread which is on Thorndike Street. An email from the business as well as its Instagram page mentions that the new coffee shop offers coffee, tea, and hot chocolate along with such items as goat cheese, house-made honey butter and mustard butter, jams, olives, yogurt parfaits, and tinned fish. The email also says that the two businesses are separate shops with their own entrances, though they do share a kitchen.

The Instagram post for Clear Flour Coffee can be found at https://www.instagram.com/clearflourcoffeebar/

NOTE: We need your help, as Leslie Hurwitz, who is the father of Marc (the founder of this site) is dealing with health issues and some major related expenses. Please donate at https://gofund.me/76d8ba28, thanks!

---

[More restaurant openings/closings from the Boston's Hidden Restaurants site): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

---

Cafe Gloria Plans to Open in East Boston

A new coffee and espresso bar is looking to open in East Boston, and a familiar name is behind it.

According to its Instagram page, Cafe Gloria is planning to open in the Jeffries Point section of Eastie, with an Instagram post from Will Isaza saying the following:

I've always dreamt of creating a space for my neighborhood and the place that made me who I am today #eastie. In just a couple days, the journey to that begins! With the help of @numarket.co and all of you, this dream can become real!. @cafegloriabos will be a coffee and espresso bar for Eastie by Eastie. It will bring everything I've been fortunate enough to learn in a decade in the hospitality industry back home. Jeffries Point we're coming!

Isaza is a bartender/mixologist who has been involved with a number of spots in the Greater Boston area over the years, including Blossom Bar and Ivory Pearl in Brookline and Birds of Paradise in Brighton.

The Instagram page for Cafe Gloria can be found at https://www.instagram.com/cafegloriabos/

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

---

[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

---

NOTE: Leslie Hurwitz, who is the father of Marc (the founder of this site) is currently dealing with health issues and needs your help. Please donate if you can at https://gofund.me/76d8ba28, thanks!

Cicada Coffee Bar Is Opening in Cambridge's Central Square

A Vietnamese coffee bar is on its way to Cambridge, and the owners of the place are also behind a local pop-up restaurant.

According to a post from boston.com, Cicada Coffee Bar is planning to open in the city's Central Square neighborhood, taking over a space on Prospect Street that had been home to an art gallery. The post mentions that owners Vinh Le and Duong Huynh are the founders of Nem Kitchen, a pop-up that features contemporary Vietnamese fare, and the upcoming coffee bar (which will have an outdoor patio) will offer a variety of Vietnamese options including banh mi, vermicelli noodle bowls, spring rolls, Hanoi egg cream coffee, tropical juice drinks, and more.

If all goes well, Cicada Coffee Bar could be opening in November.

The address for Cicada Coffee Bar is 106 Prospect Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139. Its Instagram page can be found at https://www.instagram.com/cicadacoffeebar/

[February 26, 2021 update: A poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page indicates that Cicada Coffee Bar opens today at 4:00 PM, with a Facebook post from the place confirming this.]

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

---

[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.)

Payment Options

Option 1 : $1.00 USD - monthly Option 2 : $5.00 USD - monthly Option 3 : $10.00 USD - monthly

Ducali Caffe Is Opening in Boston's North End

A new Italian coffee bar with a familiar name is on its way to the North End of Boston.

According to a post within the jobs section of bostonchefs.com, Ducali Caffe is planning to open and is now looking for a head barista. The post mentions that the new spot will offer cookies, pastries, and tea along with coffee, though little other information has been given, including its exact location and when it might open. It is possible that the cafe could be opening within or next to Ducali Pizzeria & Bar, a restaurant on Causeway Street that resides across from the Charlestown Bridge, though this has not been confirmed as of yet, so stay tuned for more details as they come in.

Ducali Pizzeria & Bar first opened in 2009; an East Boston spot called Cunard Tavern that debuted in 2017 is under the same ownership as well.

[July 13 update: According to multiple sources, Ducali Caffe will be opening next door to Ducali Pizzeria & Bar.]

[October 22 update: An article from boston.com mentions that Ducali Caffe opens today, and that it will serve such items as Nutella croissants, breakfast sandwiches, pastries, Roman-style pizza, and flatbread sandwiches, with hours being 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM daily.]

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

---

[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

---

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

---

[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.)

Payment Options

Option 1 : $1.00 USD - monthly Option 2 : $5.00 USD - monthly Option 3 : $10.00 USD - monthly

Gracenote Coffee and Wine Opens in Former Intrepid Cafe Space in East Cambridge

The people behind an espresso bar in downtown Boston have opened a new location that also serves alcohol.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Gracenote Coffee and Wine is now open in East Cambridge, taking over the space on First Street where Intrepid Cafe had been. An article in Boston Magazine indicates that the new outlet joins another Gracenote on Lincoln Street in Boston's Leather District, but the Cambridge location also serves beer, wine, and cordials in addition to coffee, espresso and baked goods--and a menu of Rancho Gordo popcorns can be found at the new spot as well.

Gracenote first opened its Boston location in the fall of 2015; in addition to its new shop in East Cambridge, another outlet is also on its way to High Street Place, a new food hall coming to downtown Boston.

The address for Gracenote Coffee and Wine is 150 First Street, Cambridge, MA, 02142. The website for the company is at https://www.gracenotecoffee.com/

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

---

[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

---

Update: Mod Espresso Is Opening Inside Modern Relik in Boston's South End

[Ed note: This article was updated to reflect the fact that the cafe has opened--and it has an official name.]

It looks like a new spot for coffee is on its way to the South End of Boston, and it will be set up inside an upcoming location of a furniture store.

According to a licensing board hearing page within the city's website, Modern Relik has applied for a common victualler license to operate a coffee bar counter within its shop, which will be located on Harrison Avenue. A check on the website for the business indicates that the Waltham location of Modern Relik is currently closed as they are getting ready to open the South End store, though it is not clear whether this is a move or a second location.

The address for Modern Relik--and its coffee bar--in the South End is 485 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA, 02118. The website for the business can be found at https://www.modernrelik.com/

[November 25 update: The Tables section of The Boston Globe states that Modern Relik is now open in the South End, and the name of its cafe is Mod Espresso.]

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

---

[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

---

Intelligentsia Coffee Is Opening in Boston's Financial District

by Marc Hurwitz

A Chicago-based coffee roaster that opened its first Boston-area shop last summer is opening a second outlet in the region, and this one will be in the heart of downtown Boston.

Eater Boston is reporting that Intelligentsia Coffee is planning to open in Post Office Square within the city's Financial District, with the Franklin Street shop joining another on Mt. Auburn Street in Watertown which debuted in July of 2017. The article says that the new location of Intelligentsia, which is majority-owned by California-based Peet's Coffee & Tea, will be the first to offer nitro cold coffee and it will look quite a bit different from the Watertown location, with that location being in a standalone building and including a retail shop as well as a coffee training lab and sales office.

If all goes as planned, the new location of Intelligentsia Coffee could be opening sometime this summer.

The address for this new coffee bar in the Financial District is: Intelligentsia Coffee, 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA, 02110. Its website can be found at http://www.intelligentsiacoffee.com/

[August 14 update: Boston Magazine mentions that the new location of Intelligentsia Coffee opens this Friday (August 17).]

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

---

[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

---

Tweet

Caffe Strega to Open in Downtown Boston

by Marc Hurwitz

A trio of Italian coffee bars from a well-known local restaurateur is going to be joined by a fourth, and this one will be in the heart of downtown Boston.

According to a Facebook post from CKI Design Studio, Caffe Strega is planning to open on Summer Street about midway between Downtown Crossing and South Station, with a rendering showing what appears to be a counter-service spot that may be in the lobby area of the building. Once it opens, the new cafe will join others in the South End, Back Bay, and the Seaport District, and the person behind it--Nick Varano of The Varano Group--also runs such places as Strega Waterfront at Fan Pier (which is where one of the Caffe Stregas resides), Strega North End, Nico in the North End, Strega Prime in Woburn, and Strip by Strega at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel.

The address for the upcoming location of Caffe Strega in downtown Boston is 99 Summer Street, Boston, MA, 02110. The website for the other locations of Caffe Strega can be found at http://www.caffestregaboston.com/

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

---

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

---

Tweet

Caffe Strega to Open in Boston's South End

A pair of Italian cafes and coffee bars from a well-known local restaurateur may be joined by a third, with this one coming to a part of the South End that has little in the way of food or coffee options.

According to a licensing board hearing page within the City of Boston website, Caffe Strega is looking to open on Columbus Avenue in a little section of the South End west of Mass. Ave. that is wedged between the Fenway and Roxbury. Based on the hearing notice, it appears that the new location would be a kiosk in a lobby that would focus on coffee to go, though exact details on the place have not been given as of yet. If approved, the new Caffe Strega would join others in the Back Bay and in the Seaport District.

Caffe Strega is one of a handful of spots from Nick Varano and The Varano Group, which also includes Strega Waterfront at Fan Pier (which is where one of the Caffe Stregas resides), Strega North End, Nico in the North End, Strega Prime in Woburn, and Strip by Strega at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel.

The address for this new coffee spot in the South End is: Caffe Strega, 805 Columbus Avenue, Boston, MA, 02120. The website for the other locations of Caffe Strega can be found at http://www.caffestregaboston.com/

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

---

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

---

Tweet

Knight Moves Is Expanding to Somerville's Teele Square

A Brookline cafe that is a popular spot with lovers of board games is opening a second space in Somerville.

 Eater Boston is reporting (via a city of Somerville planning staff report page) that Knight Moves in on Beacon Street in Coolidge Corner is planning to move into a space on Broadway in Teele Square, taking over the spot where a hair salon had been. Based on the original location, the new cafe would likely be a place where patrons can play board games and card games for a monthly fee (or by buying day passes), dining on snacks, and drinking coffee, tea, and milkshakes. (EB says that the Somerville shop would have a small coffee bar.)

Knight Moves first opened its doors in Brookline in the fall of 2013.

The address for the new Knight Moves in Teele Square is 1159 Broadway, Somerville, MA, 02144. The website for the original location can be found at http://knightmovescafe.com/

[July 5 update: A new article from Eater Boston states that Knight Moves is now open in Teele Square, and it offers coffee, tea, and access to board games.]

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

---

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

---

Tweet

Will Gilson Is Opening Beatnik Beverage Company in Cambridge's Kendall Square

[Ed note: This article was updated on July 13 to reflect new information given, including a name for the place.]

A new eatery is coming to one of the hottest sections of Cambridge, and a well-known chef and restaurateur is involved with it.

Eater Boston is reporting that Will Gilson (Puritan & Co. in Inman Square) is working with his father David Gilson (of the Herb Lyceum in Groton) to open a coffee and juice bar at 5 Cambridge Center in the city's Kendall Square area, confirming information from a previous article saying that a "chef with a popular Cambridge restaurant" would be looking to open the spot. The as-of-yet unnamed place will be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and will offer ice coffee, cold-pressed juices, kombucha, and more, according to EB. If all goes as planned, it looks like it could be opening "within weeks."

Will Gilson is also known for his stint as chef at the now-closed Cambridge gastropub Garden at the Cellar in Cambridge, along with a number of pop-up restaurants over the years.

[July 13 update: The Boston Globe mentions that the name of the Kendall Square spot that Will and David Gilson are opening will be Beatnik Beverage Company, and that it will be a takeout place that offers iced coffee, tea, cold-pressed juices, and Kombucha.]

[September 1 update: A new press release states that Beatnik Beverage Company opens a week from today (Tuesday, September 8).]

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

---

[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

---

Tweet

Flat Black Coffee Is Opening on the Boston Waterfront

A local group of espresso bars is expanding again, this time opening a shop by the Boston waterfront.

According to a Twitter post from @ConciergeBoston, Flat Black Coffee is planning to open on State Street by the New England Aquarium and Long Wharf, taking over the space where a location of Emack & Bolio's Ice Cream had been. Once it opens, the new shop will join others on Broad Street, Franklin Street, and High Street in downtown Boston, along with Dorchester Avenue and Washington Street in Dorchester.

[December 23 update: According to a post from Eater Boston, the new Flat Black Coffee is now open on the Boston waterfront.]

According to its website, Flat Black is the largest independently-owned roaster, wholesaler, and retailer of specialty coffees in the city of Boston.

The address for this new location of Flat Black Coffee is 255 State Street, Boston, MA, 02109. The website for the business can be found at http://flatblackcoffee.com/

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

---

[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

---

Tweet

Ogawa Coffee Is Opening in Boston's Downtown Crossing

A Japan-based coffee roaster is opening its first shop in the United States--and it would be right in the heart of Boston.

Eater Boston is reporting (via Universal Hub) that Ogawa Coffee is seeking approval for a common victualler license to operate on Milk Street in the city's Downtown Crossing area, with the Boston Licensing Commission looking into the proposal this week. If approved, the coffee shop would feature what an earlier article in The Boston Globe says is "latte art that will blow your mind."

[April 23 update: The Boston Business Journal states that Ogawa will open its Boston shop on May 22.]

The Globe states that Ogawa Coffee will have event space along with a training studio and a brewer's lab, and that Haruna Murayama (the 2010 World Latte Art champion) is going to be overseeing the coffee menu at the Boston shop.

The address for this new coffee place in Downtown Crossing is: Ogawa Coffee, 10 Milk Street, Boston, MA, 02108.

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

---

[Note: Please join the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook Group Page to get more info on dining spots and also chat with others about Boston-area restaurants.]

---

Tweet

George Howell Coffee to Open in Boston's Downtown Crossing

A local coffee roaster with a shop in the suburbs of Boston is opening a second location, with this one being in the heart of the city.

Eater Boston is reporting that George Howell Coffee will be opening in the Godfrey Hotel in Downtown Crossing, with the place being next to the hotel lobby and having a street entrance. The article says that the new shop will have the feel of the old Coffee Connection, a group of coffee shops that George Howell opened up in the 1970s and grew to 24 locations before being sold to Starbucks in 1994. Once it opens, the new location of George Howell Coffee will join another shop in Newtonville which opened in early 2012.

Both the coffee shop and the hotel plan to open sometime this fall, according to Eater Boston.

The address for the Godfrey Hotel (and the new coffee shop as well) will be 505 Washington Street, Boston, MA, 02111; the website for George Howell Coffee can be found at http://www.georgehowellcoffee.com/

[June 7, 2016 update: According to a Twitter post from @FortPointer, George Howell Coffee opens in Downtown Crossing tomorrow (Wednesday, June 7).]

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

Tweet

Beantown Pub Owners to Open Ziggy's Coffee Bar in Downtown Boston

The people behind a watering hole in downtown Boston are going to be opening what looks to be a coffee bar nearby.

According to a post from the Boston Hospitality and Tourism Industry Blog, Ziggy's Coffee Bar is planning to open on Tremont Street, with Cappy in Boston mentioning (via a Facebook post) that the place will be a division of Beantown Pub next door and it will offer such items as coffee, freshly-made pastries, and sandwiches. Little else is known about the spot at this point in time; as soon as we find out more, we will post an update here.

[February 5, 2016 update: According to a Twitter post from Boston Herald writer @DGoodison, Ziggy's will be located in an expanded part of Beantown Pub, with a hearing notice (not online yet) showing that the space would be a coffee bar during the day and additional seating for the bar at night. A hearing on the expansion of the pub and the addition of the coffee bar takes place on February 17.]

[June 1, 2016 update: Eater Boston states that Ziggy's Coffee Bar is now open, with the place offering such items as muffins, croissants, clam chowder, sandwiches, coffee, tea, and more.]

The address for this new coffee bar in downtown Boston is: Ziggy's Coffee Bar, 102 Tremont Street, Boston, MA, 02108.

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

---

[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

---

Tweet

Fleck Is Opening in Newton Highlands

A new coffee and espresso bar is on its way to the western suburbs of Boston, and its name comes from an interesting term.

Eater Boston is reporting that Fleck is opening in Newton Highlands, with the Walnut Street specialty coffee shop getting its name from the term "tiger flecking," which refers to the patterns of coffee particles at the top of a shot of espresso that "indicate a good extraction and proper grind." The article says that in addition to coffee, there will also be pastries offered.

It looks like Fleck could be opening in early February.

[February 9 update: A new article from Eater Boston states that Fleck is now open.]

The address for this new coffee bar in Newton is: Fleck, 1169 Walnut Street, Newton, MA, 02461. Its Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/fleckcoffee while its Twitter page is at https://twitter.com/fleckcoffee

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

---

[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

---

Tweet

Barrington Coffee Roasting Company Is Opening a Cafe in Boston's Back Bay

A coffee company in the Berkshires that has a cafe in the Fort Point section of Boston is getting ready to open a second spot in the city, with this one being in the heart of the Back Bay.

Eater Boston is reporting that Barrington Coffee Roasting Company is planning to open on Newbury Street, with the article saying that it will debut "very, very soon." Once it opens, expect to see espresso, batch-brewed coffee on tap, and full-leaf teas at the shop, along with pastries, rolls, granola, and yogurt.

[December 22 update: An article from Eater Boston states that the new Barrington cafe is now open on Newbury Street.]

The Barrington coffee bar in Fort Point first opened its doors on Congress Street in December of 2011; the company itself has been in business since 1993.

The address for this new cafe from Barrington is 303 Newbury Street, Boston, MA, 02115. The website for the company can be found at http://www.barringtoncoffee.com/

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

---

[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

---

Tweet

Piadina Cafe and Coffee Bar Opens in Boston's Financial District

Last summer, we mentioned that the person behind a now-closed restaurant in Somerville was looking to open a new spot in the Financial District of Boston. Now we have learned that the place has indeed opened.

An email sent indicates that Piadina Cafe & Coffee Bar is now open on State Street, moving into the space where a location of Rebecca's has been until closing in the latter part of 2011. As indicated in the earlier article, one of the owners of Piadina is James Conforti, who was the owner of Gargoyles in Davis Square until it shut down in September of 2011 after being in business for more than 15 years. The new eatery features piadinas, or Italian flatbread sandwiches (with all breads being made fresh in-house on a daily basis), along with breakfast items, salads, and coffee.

The address for this new cafe in the Financial District is: Piadina Cafe & Coffee Bar, 75 State Street, Boston, MA, 02109. Its website can be found at http://piadinacafe.com/

[Earlier Article]
Owner of Gargoyles May Be Opening Sandwich Shop in Boston's Financial District

Tweet

7 Pond Coffee Bar Is Opening in Jamaica Plain

It looks like a new coffee place is coming to Jamaica Plain, and the person behind it also happens to own a coffee spot in Brookline.

Universal Hub is reporting that Maks Milstein, who runs Cafe Fixe in Washington Square, is planning to open 7 Pond Coffee Bar near where Pond Street and Centre Street meet. The Boston Licensing Board will be looking into plans for the high-end coffee spot next Wednesday.

[December 20 update: Eater Boston mentions that 7 Pond Coffee Bar has opened.]

Milstein opened Cafe Fixe approximately five years ago.

The address for this new coffee spot in Jamaica Plain is 7 Pond Street, Jamaica Plain, MA, 02130.

Tweet