Karen Akunowicz Is Opening SloPoke within Whole Foods Market in Charles River Plaza

by Marc Hurwitz

Earlier this year, a James Beard Award Winner opened a new restaurant in South Boston that focuses mainly on Italian food. Now she is planning to open another spot, with this one being inside a grocery store near the downtown area of the city.

According to an article from Eater Boston, Karen Akunowicz is planning to open SloPoke within the Whole Foods Market in the Charles River Plaza near where the West End borders Beacon Hill. The new eatery from Akunowicz, who opened Fox and the Knife in Southie in February, will feature poke bowls that include pre-set, customizable, and pre-made grab-and-go, with tuna, salmon, and shrimp being seafood options while sweet potatoes and tofu will be a couple of non-seafood options.

Eater says that SloPoke plans to open on May 10.

The West End location of Whole Foods is at 181 Cambridge Street in Boston, while the Instagram page for SloPoke can be found at https://www.instagram.com/slopoke_bos/

[May 12 update: An Instagram post from the place indicates that SloPoke is now open.]

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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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Fiorella's Express Is Opening in Wellesley

by Marc Hurwitz

A trio of Italian eateries that focus on takeout will be joined by a fourth later this year.

The Wellesley Townsman is reporting that Fiorella's Express is planning to open in Wellesley, with the address indicating that it will be moving into a space on Route 16 in Wellesley Square. Once it opens, the new outlet will join others in Belmont, Brighton, and Cambridge [ed note--the Cambridge location has closed], along with full-service locations of Fiorella's in Concord and Newton, and expect to see such items as pizza, calzones, pasta dishes, sandwiches, and more at the new spot.

The address for this new eatery in Wellesley Square is: Fiorella's Express, 575 Washington Street (Route 16), Wellesley, MA, 02482. The website for the other locations can be found at https://www.fiorellasexpress.com/

[January 11, 2019 update: A new article from The Wellesley Townsman states that Fiorella's Express plans to open its new location in Wellesley sometime around February.]

[March 22, 2019 update: The Swellesley Report states that Fiorella's Express is now open in Wellesley.]

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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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Bonapita Opening in Former BurgerFi Space in West Roxbury

by Marc Hurwitz

A quick-service restaurant in downtown Boston is expanding to a second spot, taking over the space where a burger place had been.

Universal Hub is reporting that Bonapita is opening in West Roxbury, moving into the former BurgerFi space on Spring Street. Based on the menu at the original location on Franklin Street, the new eatery might offer salads, stuffed pita, and bowls, all of which could include such items as black bean and beet patties, meatballs, chicken, lentils, hummus, and more.

BurgerFi closed its West Roxbury location in 2016, while its outlet near Boston University had closed for renovations the previous year and never reopened; these were the only two locations of the Florida-based chain of burger spots in the region.

The original location of Bonapita in downtown Boston opened in 2014.

The address for the new location of Bonapita in West Roxbury is 77 Spring Street, West Roxbury, MA, 02132. The website for the original location can be found at http://bonapita.com/

[December 12 update: Eater Boston states that Bonapita's new location in West Roxbury is now open.]

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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 Simple Greek Is Expanding to Boston

It looks like a Pennsylvania-based chain of quick-service Greek restaurants is on its way to the local area.

According to a Twitter post from @JustinA_PZD, The Simple Greek is bringing "a bunch" of locations to Massachusetts, with Eater Boston stating (via a press release on marcuslemonis.com) that new shops will be coming to 15 states, including Massachusetts. EB mentions that The Simple Greek's website shows the first locations in the area coming to Boston and Westborough while the site also mentions shops coming to Nashua, NH, and Providence, RI.

The Simple Greek, which traces its roots back to 2004 in the Pittsburgh area, is a chain of counter-service eateries featuring customized pita and salad/rice/lentil bowl options along with sides such as spinach pie, hummus, and stuffed grape leaves. The dining spots also offer Greek yogurt and baklava.

The website for The Simple Greek can be found at http://thesimplegreek.com/

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b.good to Open in Woburn

A local chain of restaurants that features "real" fast food continues its expansion into the suburbs, with a new location on its way to a community north of Boston that is becoming a red-hot place for dining.

The Boston Business Journal is reporting that b.good is planning to open a new shop in Woburn, moving into a space in Cummings Park that is just south of where Washington Street and Route 128 intersect. If all goes as planned, expect to see the new location of the chain to open sometime in the early summer.

b.good first started out in 2004 and now has 33 locations in the Greater Boston area, elsewhere in Massachusetts, and in a handful of other states along with Canada. A few locations found locally include shops in Boston, Bedford, Burlington, Cambridge, Dedham, Hingham, and Newton.

The address for this upcoming dining spot in Woburn is: b.good, 4 Cummings Park, Woburn, MA, 01801. The website for the chain can be found at http://www.bgood.com/

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Ten More Burgers from Restaurants in the Boston Area]

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Update: Wrapro Falafel and Grille to Replace Sabra Grill in Cambridge's Harvard Square

[Ed note: This article was updated on December 10 to reflect confirmation of which space Wrapro is taking over.]

It looks like a quick-service eatery located between Cambridge's Porter Square and Harvard Square is planning to open a location in Harvard Square itself, and it may be replacing another dining spot.

According to a License Commission General Hearing page within the city of Cambridge website, Wrapro Falafel & Grille on Mass. Ave. is looking to open a shop on Eliot Street (apparently moving into the space where Sabra Grill is), with the new place having seating for 10 and proposed hours from 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM Monday through Saturday and 12:00 PM to 10:00 PM on Sundays. It is not yet known whether this is a move for Wrapro or a second location; as soon as we find out, we will post an update here.

[December 10 update: According to a poster on the Chowhound site, Sabra Grill is now closed and the windows now show decals for Wrapro; a call placed to Sabra indicates that its phone is out of service, and a check on its website shows that it may have been hacked. (The Manta site notes that Sabra had been in the space since 1997.)]

[February 4, 2016 update: Eater Boston states that Wrapro is now open in the former Sabra Grill space, and it is indeed a second location of the eatery.]

Wrapro Falafel & Grille offers a variety of wraps and plates, including chicken shawarma, falafel, hummus, tabouli, baba ghannouj, kofta kabob, and more.

The address for the new Wrapro (and Sabra Grill) is 20 Eliot Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138. The website for the original Wrapro on Mass. Ave. can be found at http://wrapro.co/

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Dates and Olives Is Opening in Brighton

It looks like a new restaurant is on its way to Brighton, and the person behind it may be known to those who watch a Food Network show.

Eater Boston is reporting (via a licensing board page) that Dates and Olives is planning to open on Chestnut Hill Avenue in the space where Bento Cafe had once been, and it seems that Renita Mendonca of the catering business Seasoned and Spiced is the manager of the spot. (The listing shows the name "Renita Mendonla," which appears to be a misspelling.) The article says that the upcoming eatery will lbe a quick-service Mediterranean restaurant, though little else is known about Dates and Olives at this point in time.

[August 31 update: According to a new article from Eater Boston, Dates and Olives is now open in Brighton, featuring rice bowls, salad bowls, and pita pockets filled with such options as beef, falafel, hummus, grilled veggies, tahini, and more, along with starters such as baba ganouj and labneh, and desserts such as rice pudding.]

According to EB, Renita Mendonca once competed on the Food Network show "Chopped" (Season 9 in 2011), with a bio on The Clarke Culinary Center site saying that she once worked at the famous Napa Valley restaurant The French Laundry.

The address for this new Mediterranean restaurant in Brighton is 160 Chestnut Hill Avenue, Brighton, MA, 02135.

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Sweetgreen to Open Shops in Boston's Prudential Center, Downtown Crossing

A chain of farm-to-table salad spots will continue to expand into the Boston area, with two more locations announced.

Eater Boston is reporting that Sweetgreen is planning to open shops in the Prudential Center (in the corridor that connects the Pru and the Convention Center) and on School Street in Downtown Crossing. It appears that the Pru location of Sweetgreen should open before the end of the year, while the Downtown Crossing store may open in early 2016, and that once they do open, the two new shops will join existing outlets on Boylston Street in the Back Bay, Congress Street in the Fort Point area, and at Chestnut Hill Square.

[December 3 update: Boston Magazine states that the Pru location of Sweetgreen opens on Monday (December 7), and it will be the fifth location to open in the area (another shop opened at MarketStreet Lynnfield this fall).]

[April 14, 2016 update/correction: According to a corrected press release, the School Street location of Sweetgreen in Downtown Crossing opens on May 2, not April 22 as had originally been said.]

[May 5, 2016 update: @BostonTweet mentions that the new Sweetgreen on School Street officially opens tomorrow, while a Twitter post from @megalegamurph indicates that it may have actually had a soft-opening today.]

The website for Sweetgreen, which is based on Washington, DC, can be found at http://sweetgreen.com/

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Biagio Express to Open in Former Mimi's Roast Beef Space in Waltham

It looks like the people behind an Italian restaurant in Waltham will be opening a new quick-service dining spot nearby, taking over the space where a roast beef joint had been.

According to a Twitter post from @y2000k (and also mentioned by the Waltham Community site), Biagio Express is planning to open at the Carter Street site where Mimi's Roast Beef had been for more than 30 years until closing a few months ago. Little information is known about the upcoming eatery, though it is possible that it could be more of a takeout version of Biagio Ristorante & Bar, a Moody Street spot across the street that focuses on Italian and American fare. As soon as we find out more information on the place (including when it might be opening), we will post an update here.

The address for this upcoming dining spot in Waltham is: Biagio Express, 3 Carter Street, Waltham, MA, 02453.

[Earlier Article]
Mimi's Roast Beef in Waltham Has Closed

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Fresh City in Boston's Fenway Neighborhood Is Closing

A local group of quick-casual dining spots is closing one of its locations in Boston due to major redevelopment that would be "disruptive" to the shop.

According to an article in boston.com, Fresh City at the Landmark Center in the city's Fenway neighborhood is shutting down, joining a Best Buy location there that is also closing because of an extensive expansion at the site that will include new office space, luxury housing, and retail and restaurant space. The article says that both Fresh City and Best Buy were given the option to cancel their leases early, which they both took; it appears that Fresh City could be closing any day now, while Best Buy will remain open until November 1.

Existing locations of Fresh City in Natick, Newton, Woburn, and Logan Airport--along with one location each in Connecticut and New Jersey--remain open.

The address for Fresh City in the Fenway is 401 Park Drive, Boston, MA, 02215. The website for all locations can be found at http://www.freshcity.com/

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Freshii Is Opening in Boston's Back Bay

A Chicago-based chain of healthy quick-casual restaurants is continuing its expansion into Boston, with a new location slated for one of the busiest neighborhoods in the city.

According to a job post on the Craigslist site, Freshii is planning to open somewhere in the city's Back Bay area and is now looking for their next store manager and staff. Once it opens, this will be the third location of the place to come to Boston, with the other two being on High Street in the Financial District and A Street in the Fort Point area. (These two shops are also home to Flat Black Coffee, but it is not known whether the Back Bay store will also be a collaboration with that local group of shops.)

[March 2, 2015 update: According to a Licensing Board page within the City of Boston website, the address for the new location of Freshii in the Back Bay will be 185 Dartmouth Street.]

[April 7, 2015 update: The Boston Business Journal mentions that the new location of Freshii in the Back Bay opens its doors on April 13.]

Freshii, which first started out in Toronto in 2005, now has locations in more than 50 cities and 10 countries around the world, according to its website, which can be found at http://www.freshii.com/us

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Zest Mediterranean Grill Opens in Boston's Back Bay

A new Mediterranean restaurant has opened on the western edge of Boston's Back Bay, replacing a location of a hot dog spot that closed this spring.

A Twitter post from Drew Starr mentions that Zest Mediterranean Grill is now open on Boylston Street, taking over the former Spike's Junkyard Dogs spot (Spike's has since consolidated operations to their location on Brighton Avenue in Allston). Based on Drew's post as well as a review within the Yelp site, it looks like Zest is a quick-service spot that offers shawarma and falafel, with dishes made via what the Yelp poster says is "a Chipotle-style assembly line."

The address for this new restaurant in the Back Bay is: Zest Mediterranean Grill, 1076 Boylston Street, Boston, MA, 02115.

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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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Uno Fresco to Open in Stoneham

A Boston-based chain of restaurants that feature deep-dish pizza is planning to open a version of its fast-casual concept a few miles north of the city.

The Stoneham Independent is reporting that Uno Restaurant Holdings is going to be opening Uno Fresco in Stoneham, with the eatery taking over the space in the Redstone Plaza where Baja Fresh had been. The article implies that Uno Fresco may be similar to Uno Due Go, which Uno Restaurant Holdings opened in Boston's Downtown Crossing in the fall of 2011; both spots focus on lunch and lighter dinners (as opposed to Pizzeria Uno's menu, which features Chicago-style deep dish pizza), including such items as salads, panini, and pizza.

According to the article--which was posted last month--Uno Fresco could be opening in May or June.

[June 2 update: A press release sent indicates that Uno Fresco opens its doors on Wednesday (June 4); the release also says that this is the very first location of the new Uno Fresco concept, though it does seem somewhat similar to Uno Due Go.]

The address for this upcoming eatery in Stoneham is: Uno Fresco, 101 Main Street, Stoneham, MA, 02180.

Thanks to The Passionate Foodie for bringing this to our attention.

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Update: Freshii/Flat Black Coffee Is Opening at Channel Center in Boston's Fort Point Neighborhood

[Ed Note: This article was updated on May 14 to reflect the fact that the new spot will be a hybrid business, with two places within the same space.]

A small but fast-growing chain of healthy quick-casual restaurants is going to be opening its second Boston location, with this one coming to one of the hottest neighborhoods in the city for dining.

According to a job post on the Craigslist site, Freshii is planning to open at Channel Center on A Street in the city's Fort Point area, joining an existing location on High Street in the Financial District. Based on the offerings at the chain's other locations, expect to see such items as soups, salads, wraps, burritos, wraps, rice and noodle bowls, and frozen yogurt at the new spot, and also expect it to be a "green" restaurant that uses biodegradable packaging and recycled paper.

[May 14 update: A Twitter post from Flat Black Coffee mentions that the new Freshii at Channel Center plans to open in "a few short weeks." Based on the post, it appears that this will be another collaboration between Freshii and Flat Black (the Freshii shop on High Street in the Financial District also has a location of Flat Black within it). Flat Black Coffee can also be found in a few other locations, including Dorchester's Lower Mills neighborhood.]

[June 5 update: Eater Boston states that the Freshii and Flat Black Coffee hybrid spot is now open at Channel Center.]

Freshii was established in Toronto in 2005, with its headquarters currently located in Chicago. The chain has about 75 restaurants in operation, with another 100 locations on the way. Its website is can be found at http://www.freshii.com/us

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Bonapita Is Opening in Downtown Boston

A new restaurant is coming to the heart of downtown Boston, and it looks like it could be a fast-food eatery and/or a takeout spot.

According to a post within the jobs section of the BostonChefs.com site, Bonapita will be opening on Franklin Street in the Downtown Crossing/Financial District area of the city, with the "vibrant, quick service restaurant" planning to open its doors sometime in March. This confirms what an earlier article from the Boston Hospitality and Tourism Industry Blog said, with that post mentioning that the place had been looking to acquire a Common Victualler's License last month. Little is known about Bonapita at this point in time; as soon as we find out more about the restaurant, we will post an update here.

[May 21 update: According to a new post within the BostonChefs.com restaurant jobs section, Bonapita is "about to open." The website for the restaurant gives little information on the place, other than the fact that it will be a Mediterranean bakery and grill.]

[June 5 update: A Twitter post from @DTownBostonBID indicates that Bonapita is now open, with a sign out front saying "Come in and try our fresh baked pitas."]

The address for this new eatery in downtown Boston is: Bonapita, 51 Franklin Street, Boston, MA, 02110. Its website will be at http://bonapita.com/

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