Massachusetts
More than 20 Eastern Massachusetts restaurants closed their doors during January
January is the start of a new year, but unfortunately it marked the end of the road for more than 20 restaurants in Eastern Massachusetts.
Thanks to last month’s closures, vacancies now exist in the following Wicked Local communities: Rockland, Braintree, Billerica, Newton, Cambridge, Arlington, Roslindale, Saugus, Brighton, Acton, Westwood, Tewksbury, Brighton and Hingham.
Wicked Local will keep you posted on what new restaurants may open in these locations.
Did we miss any? Let us know by emailing jtzouvelis@wickedlocal.com.
Sugo Cucina Italiana, Arlington
Sugo Cucina Italiana, 162 Massachusetts Ave. (Route 3), has closed. It had been in business since the summer of 2015.
Owner Rudy Maniscalco specialized in classic Italian fare based on the recipes of his late mother, Gina Maniscalco.
Just like Mom made: Sugo Cucina Italiana in Arlington aims to revive Italian classics
Courthouse Fish Market, Cambridge
Courthouse Fish Market, 484 Cambridge St., which had been in business since 1912, shut down in January.
A note on the shop’s website states: “Dear valued customers: We extend our heartfelt gratitude for your years of support and patronage at the fish market. It is with a heavy heart we share the news that our fish market will be closing on January 13, 2024. We sincerely thank you for your years of unwavering support and patronage. While the fish market bids farewell, we are excited to inform you that our restaurant will continue to serve you with the same dedication to quality and excellence. We look forward to welcoming you to the restaurant next door.”
Article Fifteen Brewing Co., Rockland
After four years in business — first in Weymouth, later in Rockland — Article Fifteen Brewing Co. closed on Jan. 27.
“It’s been a fun ride, but every road comes to an end,” the business announced in a Facebook post.
Article Fifteen said “the burdens of inflation, the rising costs of materials and equipment maintenance, combined with the constant regulatory challenges presented to us since our move, have made it clear that we had to make the hardest of decisions.”
Blossom Nutrition, Newton
Blossom Nutrition, 318 Walnut St., which marketed itself as a family business providing healthy options to improve customer’s lifestyles, announced it was closing in an Instagram post on Jan. 9
The post stated: “Unfortunately we closed, we wanna to say thank you everyone for support us, and God bless you always. Never stop dreaming….”
Blossom opened during the summer of 2022, offering smoothies, juices, coffee, tea and bowls.
Cafe Asiana, Braintree
After nearly 25 years in business offering Thai and Chinese fare, Café Asiana, 25 Pearl St., has closed.
A post on the Everything Braintree Facebook group page indicates the owners decided to retire and that a new Asian restaurant will open in its place.
Casa Loca Mexican Cantina, Westwood
Casa Loca Mexican Cantina, 174 University Ave., has closed. It was known as a place to relax within a homey atmosphere and enjoy doughnuts, carnitas and margaritas.
The restaurant opened at University Station in the fall of 2020. It was part of the Wellesley Restaurant Group.
Chung King Restaurant, Billerica
Chinese and Japanese restaurant Chung King Restaurant, 446 Boston Road (Route 3A), has closed.
A post on the restaurant’s Facebook page states: “We opened the restaurant during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, navigating through tough times, facing numerous challenges such as increased operating costs, and economic crises. Believe me, this was a difficult decision for our management team. We cherish the community, and we wouldn’t have come this far without your support. We want to express our gratitude to the Billerica community and surrounding towns.”
Chung King’s owners also run Jade Pacific at 770 Boston Road,where they will honor Chung King gift cards.
Deli King Restaurant, Tewksbury
An old-school dining spot in the northern suburbs of Boston is shutting down after being in business for several decades.
Deli King Restaurant, 885 Main St. (Route 38), has closed. According to WCVB, its owners, brothers-in-law Arthur Agganis and Dimitrios Gomatos, opened the cafeteria-style restaurant specializing in Greek and American cuisine in 1989.
Donut Villa, Newton
Donut Villa, has closed its Newtonville location at 344 Walnut St. The diner still has three other locations (Malden, Cambridge and Arlington).
The Newton location opened in the fall of 2022 in the former Brewer’s Coalition space. It was open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week and of course, doughnuts were the specialty.
Imperial China, Framingham
Imperial China, 413 Worcester Road (Route 9), Framingham, has shut down.
In a post on the ChewOnThis Facebook page, the business stated: “Our business will be permanently closing January 1, 2024. We thank you for your many years of support.”
The restaurant, which had been in business for more than 30 years, was known mainly for its Chinese-American fare and its Polynesian drinks.
Nomai, Hingham
Nomai, at the Derby Street Shops, 94 Derby St., has closed.
A post on its website states: “We are announcing the unfortunate closing of Nomai. Since our opening at Hingham’s Derby Street Shops in 2022, we have had so much fun meting and feeding so many of you.”
The post also states: “We look forward to having you visit us at our other Boston and Cambridge establishments, including Shojo, Ruckus and China Pearl, opening later this year.”
OddFellows Ice Cream Co., Chestnut Hill
OddFellows Ice Cream Co., 55 Boylston St., has closed. The Chestnut Hill location was the only location in Massachusetts for the New York City-based franchise.
OddFellows opened during the summer of 2019, offering an array of ice cream flavors (including some unusual options); the business was established in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York, in 2013.
Rivershed, Braintree
Rivershed, 35-37 Commercial St., has closed. The business has other locations in Scituate and Killington, Vermont.
Since the fall of 2020, Rivershed specialized in burgers, barbecue and craft beer.
TGI Fridays, multiple locations
Danvers and Dedham are among the locations where casual dining chain TGI Friday operated until shutting down several of its Massachusetts restaurants in early January.
Seven TGI Friday’s remain in Massachusetts, including in Boston, Braintree, Everett, Methuen, Millbury, North Dartmouth and Stoughton.
The company announced it was closing 36 underperforming locations nationwide.
Tokyo Japanese Steak House, Newton
The Tokyo Japanese Steak House restaurant in the Chestnut Hill Mall, 199 Boylston St., is no longer in business.
The restaurant opened in 2013 offering steak, sushi and teppanyaki options, with chefs cooking in front of diners on grills at each of the tables.
The Dial and The Blue Owl, Cambridge
The Dial restaurant and the Blue Owl rooftop bar, on the ground and top floors, respectively, of a 907 Main hotel, 907 Main St., are closed.
A post on The Dial Instagram page states: “It is with a heavy heart that we have to announce the permanent closing of The Dial and The Blue Owl. We thank you all for being part of The Dial and Blue Owl community and a part of the diverse neighborhood that gives Central Square it’s unique energy. Together we celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, promotions, Pride months and return to office cocktails; whatever the occasion, we were grateful that you chose to spend it here with us.”
Jimmies Cafe, Roslindale
After 15 years in business, Jimmies Café, an ice cream shop at 48 Corinth St., has closed.
A Facebook post states: “Thank you for your support. Jimmies Café is closed indefinitely.”
Besides ice cream, Jimmies also served salads, sandwiches, chicken fingers, empanadas and fries.
Fuddruckers, Saugus
Fuddruckers announced in a press release in November that it would be closing its Saugus location, 900 Broadway (Route 1), by year’s end.
Franchise owner Adrienne LeBlanc stated: “This is not the outcome we had hoped for because we want to keep the restaurant open. Despite multiple attempts to negotiate a fair lease, however, we simply couldn’t come to an agreement with our landlord, and we were forced to make this very difficult decision.”
Fuddruckers’ Reading location, inside Jordan’s Furniture, remains open. That’s the only other Massachusetts location.
Known for its hamburgers, the company is headquartered in Texas.
Article 24, Brighton
After eight years, Article 24, 458 Western Ave., announced Jan. 14 on Facebook that it would close.
Its post states: “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the closure of our doors after 8 wonderful years. Join us for one last gathering today before we bid farewell. Your presence will make this farewell special.”
Ginger Court, Acton
In business since the 1990s, Ginger Court, 344 Great Road (Route 2A), is closed.
A sign on the door indicates that owners had until Jan. 25 to vacate the premises and remove all personal property or the landlord would take possession.
Owner Po Pai also owns Acton Asian Market, up the street at 279 Great Road.
Massachusetts
New Bedford MS-13 Member, Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Role in Brutal Murders In Massachusetts, Virginia
Frankli
Police shot and killed a man who officials say rushed officers with a knife during a call in Lexington, Massachusetts, on Saturday.
Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan said the situation started around 1:40 p.m. when Lexington police received a 911 call from a resident of Mason Street reporting that his son had injured himself with a knife.
Officers from the Lexington Police Department and officers from the Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council (NEMLEC), who were already in town for Patriots’ Day events, responded to the call.
Police were able to escort two other residents out of the home, initially leaving a 26-year-old man inside. According to Ryan, while officers were setting up outside, the man ran out of the home and approached officers with a large kitchen knife.
She added that police tried twice to use non-lethal force, but it was not effective in stopping him. The man was shot by a Wilmington police officer who is a member of NEMLEC. The man was pronounced dead on scene and the officer who fired that shot was taken to a local hospital as a precaution.
The man’s name has not been released.
Ryan said typically in a call like this where someone was described as harming themselves, officers would first try to separate anyone else to keep them out of danger, which was done, and then standard practice would be to try to wait outside.
“It would be their practice to just wait for the person to come out. In the terrible circumstances of today, he suddenly rushed the officers, still clutching the knife,” Ryan said.
The investigation is still in the preliminary stages and more information is expected in time. Ryan said her office will request a formal inquest from the court to review whether any criminal conduct has occurred, which is the standard process.
This happened around the same time as the annual Patriots’ Day Parade, and just hours after a reenactment of the Battle of Lexington, which drew large crowds to town.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Massachusetts
‘An impossible choice’: With little federal help to combat rising costs, Head Start looks to Massachusetts for more help – The Boston Globe
In Massachusetts, roughly 1,300 slots for children across Head Start’s 28 agencies have been eliminated in the last three years because federal funding has plateaued over that time, while the cost of running the program continues to rise, according to the Massachusetts Head Start Association. Nationally, Head Start enrollment dropped from 1.1 million kids in 2013 to around 785,000 in 2022, according to research by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
“If they didn’t get into a Head Start program, they would be sitting at home,” said Brittany Acosta, a Head Start parent in Dorchester.
It’s teachers are drastically underpaid, and there’s a serious need for a rainy day-type fund should the federal government shut down again, the association says. As they’ve done in years past, state lawmakers have offered to provide financial relief, but the Massachusetts Head Start Association’s request for 3 percent above the amount it received last year, an additional $4.6 million to help its staff keep up with the state’s rising cost of living, so far has not been allocated.
Last year, President Trump’s leaked budget proposal revealed he considered eliminating Head Start entirely. Then, in the summer, he cut off Head Start enrollment for immigrants without legal status. And during the fall’s government shutdown, four Head Start centers in Massachusetts closed because they couldn’t access their funding.
Trump’s latest budget proposal shows a fourth year without increasing funding for the program, which was established in the mid-1960s.
Michelle Haimowitz, executive director of the Massachusetts Head Start Association, said the program doesn’t want to eliminate more child slots than it already has, but paying teachers a competitive salary is equally important in order to keep them from leaving for higher paying jobs. Head Start teachers make under $50,000 annually compared to over $85,000 for the average Massachusetts kindergarten teacher.
“It’s an impossible choice,” Haimowitz said. “When we reduce the size of our programs, we’re not reducing the size of the need.”
Massachusetts is one of few states that supplements federal funding for Head Start, and last year it increased the program’s state grant from $5 million to $20 million, adding to the $189 million in federal aid it receives in this state.
“We can’t run a program without giving staff a raise for three years,” Haimowitz said. “Our next fight now is not just for survival, but it’s for thriving and growth.”
The Massachusetts House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday released its budget, which doesn’t grant Head Start’s request of a 3 percent boost. But state Representative Christopher Worrell filed an amendment for additional funding. Worrell, whose district covers parts of Dorchester and Roxbury, said he loves Head Start’s embrace of culture, recalling one visit to a center where he could smell staff cooking stew chicken, a traditional Caribbean dish.
“I’ve been to dozens of schools throughout the district, and you don’t get that home-cooked meal,” Worrell said. “[The state is] stepping up and doing the best we can with what we have.”
At the Action for Boston Community Development’s Head Start and Early Head Start center in Dorchester, the children of Classroom 7 arrived one Monday morning and dove into bins of magnetic tiles before their teachers, Paola Polanco and Leolina Rasundar Chinnappa, served breakfast. Acosta dropped off her 4-year-old daughter, Violeta, before reporting to her teaching position at the center, where several other Head Start parents also work.
“It’s important for all Head Start parents to have the opportunity to give their child an experience in a learning environment before they actually start kindergarten,” Acosta said.
Beyond providing early education and care to children of low-income families, from birth to age 5, the program helps them access other resources, including mental health services, SNAP benefits, homelessness assistance, and employment opportunities.
It also serves as daycare for parents who might not be able to afford it, while they’re at work.
Research has shown the importance of preschool in a child’s development with one 2023 study, focused on Boston public preschools, finding that it improves student behavior and increases the likelihood of high school graduation and college enrollment.
For Rickencia Clerveaux and Christopher Mclean, the Dorchester Head Start center is the only place they feel comfortable sending their 3-year-old son, Shontz, who is on the autism spectrum. Shontz’s stimming — repetitive movements that stimulate the senses — has reduced, and his speech has improved since he joined the center in 2024, Clerveaux said.
His parents say he’s also come out of his shell. Mclean now drops his son off and gets a simple “bye” as Shontz joins his classmates, he said.
He and Clerveaux said they appreciate the specialized attention Shontz can receive from teachers, such as when staff identified that Shontz might have hearing issues. His parents were able to follow up with their doctor and get Shontz to have surgery to improve his hearing.
“It’s a safe net for parents,” Clerveaux said. “There’s so many ways that him being here helps him grow better.”
Without Head Start, Clerveaux said a lot of pressure would be put on parents to find care for their children, “knowing that they’re already struggling or not getting the ends to meet.”
“That’s a burden for everybody in the community,” she said. “If there’s no funding, there’s no daycare and parents cannot work.”
Lauren Albano can be reached at lauren.albano@globe.com. Follow her on X @LaurenAlbano_.
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