New City Microcreamery Is Opening in Sudbury

A pair of ice cream parlors will soon be joined by a third location, with this one coming to the western suburbs of Boston.

A message sent by Leah Klein of City Living Boston indicates that New City Microcreamery is planning to open in Sudbury, joining its original location which first debuted in Hudson in 2015 along with a second outlet in Cambridge's Central Square that opened in 2018. An earlier Patch article confirms this, saying that the upcoming shop will open in the former Peet's Coffee space within the Meadow Walk development along Route 20.

Based on the other locations, expect the Sudbury outlet of New City Microcreamery to offer a variety of house-made liquid-nitrogen-frozen flavors of ice cream along with milkshakes, coffee, and more.

The address for the new location of New City Microcreamery in Sudbury is 534 Boston Post Road (Route 20), Sudbury, MA, 01776. The website for New City is at https://newcitymicrocreamery.com/

[March 10, 2022 update: According to a source, the Sudbury location of New City Microcreamery is now open.]

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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New City Microcreamery in Hudson Expanding to Cambridge

by Marc Hurwitz

A popular ice cream parlor and coffee shop west of Boston is going to be expanding eastward.

According to an article in Boston Magazine, New City Microcreamery in Hudson is planning to open in Cambridge, and while no address has been given as of yet, it appears that the shop will be located somewhere in Central Square. A rep for the place indicates that they are getting closer to opening the new location, but no specific opening date has been given, so stay tuned for updates as they come in.

The original location of New City Microcreamery offers a variety of house-made liquid-nitrogen-frozen flavors of ice cream along with milkshakes, coffee, pastries, breakfast items, and more.

The website for New City Microcreamery can be found at https://newcitymicrocreamery.com/

[September 10 update: A poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page states that New City Microcreamery has opened within the old Cafe Luna space at 403 Massachusetts Avenue (Cafe Luna has since moved to a new space at 612 Main Street), with a message sent to us confirming that the ice cream place has indeed soft-opened.]

[September 14 update: Boston Magazine states that New City Microcreamery has officially opened in Cambridge, though hours are only 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM for now, with hours being extended soon.]

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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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Confirmed: J.P. Licks Is Returning to Newbury Street

by Marc Hurwitz

[Ed note: This article was updated on September 11 to reflect confirmation of J.P. Licks returning to Newbury Street.]

A local group of ice cream cafes that shut down its Newbury Street location several years ago may be coming back, though to a new location a few blocks to the east.

According to a licensing board hearing page within the City of Boston website, J.P. Licks is seeking a license to operate at 173 Newbury Street, which is between Dartmouth Street and Exeter Street. The ice cream spot used to reside in a space at 352 Newbury Street between Hereford Street and Mass. Ave., but that shop closed in March of 2012 because its lease had expired and the landlord was reportedly looking for a larger tenant. Plans for J.P. Licks to return to Newbury Street have apparently been in the works for awhile, as a Back Bay Architectural Commission Review page from last year shows blueprints, photos, and other information on the proposed shop.

Currently, locations of J.P. Licks can be found in a number of locations in and around Boston, including another in the Back Bay as well as other locations within the city in Beacon Hill, Dorchester, Mission Hill, Jamaica Plain, and West Roxbury. The website for the business is at http://www.jplicks.com/

[September 11 update: A job post within the Craigslist site confirms these plans, saying that "We are excited to be coming back to Newbury Street."]

[Earlier Article]
J.P. Licks on Newbury Street Has Closed

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Last Brigham's in Arlington Heights Getting Ready to Officially Disappear from the Landscape

[Ed note: This article has been corrected to show that there is only one shop remaining that still has the Brigham's signage, and it appears to be in the midst of changing over. (Thanks to @jackie_cain for the help on this.]

A couple of years ago, we reported that a local chain of ice cream parlors was going to lose its brand name with each store being forced to find new suppliers. Now we have learned that one shop still has its signage up (based on a recent check on the place along with some Facebook posts), but that it appears to be on the verge of changing its name--though some chatter indicates the name has already changed even though the Brigham's sign remains--with earlier reports saying it might be called either "Digumm's" or "Dighams." Earlier reports also mentioned that the shop had been looking to switch over to ice cream from Sugar Maple Creamery in Wilmington, though it is not known for sure if this indeed is the case. (As soon as we get more updates on the exact status of the place, we will post an update here.)

[August 17 update: A check on the place over the weekend indicates that the Brigham's in Arlington Heights is now officially called Digumm's, with signage up out front.]

Brigham's, which first started out in 1914 as an ice cream and candy shop in Boston's Post Office Square, filed for bankruptcy in 2009 and closed all but a handful of locations at that point in time; most of the remaining spots switched over to new names in 2013 once parent company HP Hood of Lynnfield decided to stop selling its ice cream in bulk quantities. (Brigham's ice cream can still be found in convenience stores and supermarkets.)

[Earlier Articles]
Brigham's Restaurants Disappearing, Being Renamed with New Ice Cream Suppliers
Brigham's in Arlington Heights to Become Digumm's

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Friendly's in Sudbury Has Closed

A local chain of restaurants and ice cream shops that declared bankruptcy a few years ago has closed one of its few remaining shops in the Greater Boston area.

The Sudbury Town Crier is reporting that Friendly's has closed its location on Boston Post Road (Route 20) in that town, with the closure taking place this past Sunday. The article says that no reason was given for its shutting down, with the manager of the dining spot simply saying "There's just a lot going on."

The Friendly's chain went bankrupt back in the fall of 2011, closing a number of Boston-area locations at the time before emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in early 2012. Currently, locations of the chain can be found in East Boston (at Logan Airport), Framingham, Norwood, Peabody, Quincy, Saugus, Stoneham, Waltham, Watertown, and Weymouth.

The address for this now-closed location of Friendly's was 457 Boston Post Road, Sudbury, MA, 01776. The website for the Friendly's chain can be found at http://www.friendlys.com/

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Brigham's in Arlington Heights Remains Open (for Now)

Last year, we reported that all of the Brigham's retail shops would be losing their brand name because they would no longer be able to sell Brigham's ice cream. The former Brigham's stores now have new names and ice cream suppliers, though we have recently learned that there is one remaining holdout.

According to several sources, the Brigham's shop in Arlington Heights remains open, with a Facebook page for the shop called "Brighams Ice-cream Last-One Left" coming to our attention recently as well. One source mentioned an article in the Boston Business Journal from several weeks back that explains what is going on; the article states that this location of Brigham's has been given more time to change its name by parent company Hood (which is based in Lynnfield) due to the costs that are involved in the changeover. No specific date has been given on the change, and it is not known what the shop will ultimately be called; as soon as we find out more, we will post an update here.

The address for Brigham's in Arlington Heights is 1328 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, MA, 02476. The website for the company can be found at http://www.brighams.com/

[Earlier Article]
Brigham's Restaurants Disappearing, Being Renamed with New Ice Cream Suppliers

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Brigham's in Arlington Heights Has Reopened

Earlier this week, we reported that Brigham's Ice Cream in Arlington Heights had closed down, as it had been seized by the state due to non-payment of taxes. It has now been learned via the Boston Globe that the Mass. Ave. spot has reopened, as they have agreed to make a lump sum payment for part of what they owe the state. The article mentions that Brigham's opened at 11:00 AM today and will remain open under the condition that they pay off the rest of the money owed the state over time.

The address for the reopened Brigham's in Arlington Heights is: Brigham's Ice Cream, 1328 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, MA, 02476.

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Brigham's Ice Cream in Arlington Heights Seized by the State

One of the last remaining outlets of a local restaurant and ice cream chain is now closed, having been seized by the state.

The Arlington Advocate is reporting that the Department of Revenue has shut down Brigham's Ice Cream on Mass. Ave. in Arlington Heights due to non-payment of taxes that total more than $92,000. The article states that several unsuccessful attempts to collect the money had been made, and that meals taxes had not been paid to the state by the shop since 2009.

The fact that the Arlington Heights Brigham's has been seized does not necessarily mean that it will never reopen; the Advocate indicates that if the owners of the shop can come up with a large down payment and set up a payment plan, it could reopen, though it would probably need to do this within the next couple of months, otherwise risking having its assets sold off in an auction.

[May 4 update: The Boston Globe is reporting that Brigham's in Arlington Heights has reopened, as they have agreed to make a lump sum payment for part of what they owe the state.]

 The owners of Brigham's in Arlington Heights also run a location of Brigham's in Belmont until it closed this past winter. With the closing of the Belmont and Arlington outlets, the only Brigham's that remain in or near the Boston area are in Quincy, Hingham, and North Andover.

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J.P. Licks Is Opening on Boylston Street in Boston's Back Bay

As we reported last month, J.P. Licks has closed down its Newbury Street location after about 20 years in business. But now it appears that the ice cream cafe may be opening once again in the Back Bay, though it might be replacing a landmark record store.

The Boston Phoenix is reporting that Looney Tunes is moving out of its Boylston Street home after being there for 33 years, but it will not be going away completely; instead, it will be merging with Store 54 on Harvard Avenue in Allston to create a "music supermarket." The article goes on to say that J.P. Licks is "reportedly" moving into the space that will be vacated by the record shop.

J.P. Licks closed its location at 352 Newbury Street in early March, with a Boston Globe article stating that the ice cream place had been looking at sites on both Newbury Street and Boylston Street in the hopes that it could reopen in the Back Bay. It looks like this may indeed be coming true now.

[October 3 update: While the exact location has not yet been confirmed, the Boston Globe reports that J.P. Licks is indeed planning to open a shop on Boylston Street in the Back Bay. The Globe also reports that the ice cream chain is looking to open at the upcoming Assembly Row development in Somerville as well as in Lynnfield. (Thanks to Adam's Hospitality & Tourism Industry Blog for bringing this to our attention.)]

[October 3 update #2: The Boston Business Journal has confirmed that J.P. Licks will move into the former Looney Tunes space at 1106 Boylston Street.]

[March 28, 2013 update: Eater Boston states that the new J.P. Licks on Boylston Street is now open.]

J.P. Licks has other locations in Mission Hill, Harvard Square, Coolidge Corner, Davis Square, West Roxbury, Newton Centre, Wellesley, Dedham, and soon, in Beacon Hill [update--now open].

The address for the new location of J.P. Licks is 1106 Boylston Street, Boston MA, 02115. Their website is at http://www.jplicks.com/

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J.P. Licks on Newbury Street Has Closed

A local group of ice cream cafes has lost one of its most popular locations.

A post and accompanying photo from Boston Tweet indicates that J.P. Licks on Newbury Street in Boston's Back Bay has closed its doors, as their lease has expired and the landlord is looking for a larger tenant. The Newbury Street location had been in business for approximately 20 years.

J.P. Licks first opened in Jamaica Plain in 1981, gradually expanding to include locations on Newbury Street as well as in Mission Hill, Harvard Square, Coolidge Corner, Davis Square, West Roxbury, Newton Centre, Wellesley, Dedham, and soon, in Beacon Hill. The cafes feature a variety of homemade ice cream flavors along with frozen yogurt, frappes, smoothies, cakes, pies, and coffee.

The address for the now-closed Newbury Street location of J.P. Licks was: J.P. Licks, 352 Newbury Street, Boston MA, 02115. Their website is at http://www.jplicks.com/

J.P. Licks Is Opening in Boston's Beacon Hill

It looks like a local group of ice cream cafes may be opening a new location, with this one being in the heart of Boston.

According to a Boston real estate agent, J.P. Licks is planning to move into a space on Charles Street (their lease has already been signed), though the Beacon Hill Civic Association will apparently need to approve a zoning variance during its Zoning and Licensing Committee meeting on December 7. No address for the proposed J.P. Licks was given, though an earlier Downtown View article mentioned that the space in question is a former law office.

[December 1 update: According to an email from the Mass. Market Blog, the address for J.P. Licks in Beacon Hill will be 150 Charles Street, and it appears that it will have have about 20 seats and a closing hour of midnight.]

[December 9 update: According to the Stoneham Patch and Eater Boston, J.P. Licks has gained approval by the Beacon Hill Civic Association's Zoning and Licensing Committee to move ahead with their plans to open on Charles Street, though the closing hour of the place has been moved up an hour to 11:00 PM.]

[May 15, 2012 update: Eater Boston reports (via @Bessiejking's Twitter page) that J.P. Licks is now open in Beaon Hill.]

J.P. Licks, which first started out in Jamaica Plain in 1981, features a wide variety of homemade ice cream flavors as well as frozen yogurt, frappes, smoothies, cakes, pies, and coffee. They currently have locations in JP, the Back Bay, Mission Hill, Harvard Square, Coolidge Corner, Davis Square, West Roxbury, Newton Centre, Wellesley, and Dedham. Their website can be found at http://www.jplicks.com/

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Herrell's Ice Cream in Harvard Square Closing; First Printer Opening in Its Place

An ice cream shop in the Harvard Square section of Cambridge that has been in business for more than 25 years will soon be closing its doors. According to the Harvard Crimson newspaper, Herrell’s Ice Cream on Dunster Street will close as soon as this November, citing economic pressures due to competition and increasing costs. The article mentions that the opening of J.P. Licks a little over a year ago is part of the reason for the decision to close. In addition, the rent that Herrell's has had to pay is now around $10,000 a month.

The newspaper article goes on to mention that the owner of Herrell's may open a restaurant and bar called First Printer in same location (including an expansion of the present space) by the spring of 2010.

[March 26 update: An article from the Harvard Crimson from December indicates that First Printer is planning on opening in April. The article mentions that First Printer, which has the same ownership as Herrell's, will feature traditional American and New England fare including clam chowder, lobster bisque, hot dogs, hamburgers, and seafood entrees. First Printer is also hoping to have a full bar, according to the Crimson. As we get information on a more exact opening date for First Printer, we will post another update here.]

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