Life Alive Is Opening in Former Panera Space at Boston University’s West Campus

A local group of cafes featuring healthy, organic food will be opening a new location that should be popular with students.

Eater Boston is reporting (via The Daily Free Press) that Life Alive is planning to open in the former Panera space on Commonwealth Avenue at Boston University's West Campus. The new shop will join others in Cambridge, Salem, and Lowell, and there had been talk earlier of the group of eateries looking to open in Jamaica Plain and at another Cambridge location as well, though there has been no word on either of late. Based on the other locations, expect to see vegetarian, vegan, and raw options at the upcoming Life Alive, including such items as wraps, salads, coffee, tea, smoothies, and desserts.

Panera closed its shop at BU's West Campus in May of this year, citing high rents as a reason for its closure.

The address for this new cafe by BU is: Life Alive, 888 Commonwealth Avenue, Brookline, MA, 02115. Its website can be found at http://www.lifealive.com/

[April 25, 2018 update: The Daily Free Press mentions that the new location of Life Alive at BU's West Campus plans to open this summer.]

[June 22, 2018 update: Eater Boston states that Life Alive is now open by BU.]

[Earlier Article]
Panera on Boston University’s West Campus Is Closing; High Rents Cited

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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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Life Alive Is Opening in Salem

A cafe with locations in Cambridge and Lowell that focuses on healthy, organic food is going to be opening a third location, with this one being on the North Shore.

According to their website, Life Alive is planning to open a restaurant on Essex Street in Salem (about midway between Route 114 and Washington Street), with an anticipated opening date sometime this spring. Expect the new location to have such items as soups, salads, wraps, hot entrees, and smoothies, with the focus being on vegetarian, vegan, macrobiotic, raw, and gluten-free foods.

[May 10 update: The new Life Alive in Salem is now open.]

The original Life Alive first opened on Middle Street in Lowell in 2004, with the Cambridge location opening in the fall of 2010.

The address for this new restaurant in Salem is: Life Alive, 281 Essex Street, Salem, MA, 01970. Their website can be found at http://www.lifealive.com/

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Prana Cafe in Newton Corner Has Closed

A restaurant in Newton Corner that focused on vegan dishes and raw foods has shut its doors after being in business for about two years.

According to the Boston Magazine food blog and Grub Street Boston as well as the restaurant's website, Prana Cafe on Centre Street has decided to close, as the owners are looking to focus on their family, writing and yoga studios. The restaurant, which first opened in August of 2009, featured an eclectic menu that included salads, pizza, tostadas, lasagna, burritos, porridge, and granola.

The address for this now-closed eatery in Newton Corner was: Prana Cafe, 292 Centre Street, Newton, MA, 02458.

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Grezzo Is Closing Its Restaurants in Boston and Newburyport

An upscale North End dining spot (with another location in Newburyport) that specializes in raw foods and organic vegan fare is closing both of its restaurants.

According to the restaurant owner's blog, Grezzo on Prince Street in Boston--and State Street in Newburyport--is shutting its doors in part because the owner is "burning out," having taken on a number of tasks, including bi-monthly teacher trainings, bookwriting, and more. The last part of her blog entry indicates that both restaurants may already have closed, and a post in the Newburyport News mentions that the location up there has been shut for a week, but we are waiting to hear back to get confirmation on whether both places have indeed closed for good.

Grezzo first opened in the North End in the winter of 2008, with the Newburyport location opening this past fall. Both restaurants have featured a variety of vegan dishes, including seaweed salad, maki rolls, tomato ravioli, gnocchi, falafel wraps, veggie burgers, and much more.

For more information on the closing of Grezzo in the North End of Boston and Newburyport, please go to the blog entry below:

Times they are a changin'

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