Friday, October 26, 2012
Reports that Whole Foods was interested in the site, along with five others in the Boston area, were true, according to an announcement from Johnnie's Foodmaster.
Update, 10:40 a.m.: According to a separate announcement from Whole Foods, the two supermarkets are not disclosing the terms of the agreement. Whole Foods also said this: "Whole Foods Market has guaranteed interviews to all Johnnie’s Foodmaster employees at the six acquired locations with the goal of hiring as many as possible." Original story: It's official: Johnnie's Foodmaster next to Thompson Square will become a Whole Foods. According to an announcement sent by Foodmaster Friday morning, the supermarket chain has agreed to transfer six Foodmaster locations in the Boston area to the Texas-based upscale supermarket company. In addition to the supermarket in Charlestown, Johnnie's Foodmasters in Somerville, Arlington, Brookline, Melrose …
Friday, September 21, 2012
Building owner files suit against Charlestown's celebrity chef.
Todd English apparently owes nearly three quarters of a million to a Charlestown property-owner for rent unpaid while Olives remained dormant after it’s 2010 fire—which reportedly caused about $200,000 worth of damage. The Boston Globe reported Friday that Carey Realty and City Square Holdings filed a claim this month in Suffolk Superior Court declaring that English owes $723,000 in back rent, and missed payments on the debt in August and September. The lawsuit also blames the 2010 fire on poor maintenance by the restaurant’s staff. “The fire was caused by Olive’s negligence in failing to clean the grease from the duct work that served the premises, allowing it to accumulate and become combustible,” the complaint said. “After the fire, …
The food service and accommodations industry makes up a serious chunk of Boston's economy.
How much do we like our hotels, restaurants and bars in Boston? Enough that the accommodation and food service industry employs nearly 50,000 people within The Hub proper. According to data from the Boston Redevelopment Authority, hotels, bars and restaurants make up the city’s sixth-largest sector, with nearly as many workers as Boston’s legendary educational services industry. The biggest chunk of those workers handle our food—9,592 bring it to our tables, 8,580 are classified as “combined food preparation and serving workers” (such as fast food workers), and another 3,225 are designated as cooks. Another 1,958 are classified as “food preparation workers,” and 3,016 serve us our coffee. Amid all those numbers, a blessed 2,631 serve us …
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
We price tested seven supermarkets in the eight Boston neighborhoods Patch serves. The result? Trader Joe's is cheapest (though you won't find rotisserie chicken there.)
Supermarkets — they're big news in Boston. Last year's controversy in JP when a Whole Foods replaced a Latino market led to arrests. This year, Charlestown is embroiled in a debate about Whole Foods taking over Johnnie's Foodmaster. At the heart of these discussions is whether we, as Bostonians, will have access to affordable food. To test prices, the Boston Patch editors each went out to various supermarkets in our respective neighborhoods on Thursday, Sept. 6. Here's our shopping list: In some cases, prices had to be approximated due to some stores not carrying a specific item (in the case of Macintosh apples) or because some stores sold certain goods by the pound while other sold it by the piece. To keep it apples-to-apples, we sought …
Friday, August 31, 2012
We've collected information on local businesses and the city as a whole—just for you.
Need a cup of coffee, a quick meal or a last-minute gift this weekend, but don’t know what’s open? Here’s a list of Charlestown businesses we were able to get information on: And here’s information on the city for Labor Day - Monday, Sep. 3.. If you know of any other business' hours, please add them in the comments.
Which grocery chain would you want to see in town?
Charlestown Patch readers demonstrated strong and divided reactions to Thursday's news that Whole Foods may replace the Johnnie's Foodmaster in Charlestown (and five other locations). Over on our Facebook page, the following comments served as strong examples of those opposed to the project: Back on the thread from the article itself, Whole Foods got a fair amount of support, including the following comments: A number of other readers said they woudl prefer neither chain—which got us thinking: if you could choose ANY grocery chain to be where the Johnnie's is now, which would you go with?
Thursday, August 30, 2012
The Boston Globe reports that Whole Foods is in talks to take over six Johnnie's Foodmaster locations, including the one at the Bunker Hill Mall.
If early-stage talks progress, Charlestown residents may have to say "good-bye" to the Johnnie's Foodmaster next to Thompson Square. The Boston Globe reports that upscale grocery chain Whole Foods is in talks to take over six Foodmaster locations, one each in Arlington, Brookline, Melrose, South Weymouth, Somerville and Charlestown. The report said it was unclear as to what Foodmaster would do with its remaining locations should it agree to the deal. Some of you have commented several times recently that you would like to see a Trader Joe's—potentially at a vacant building by the water's edge. Would you consider getting a Whole Foods the next best thing? What do you think about the prospect of losing the Johnnie's Foodmaster?
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
“Happy hour is a very bad thing for our industry," says one.
CORRECTION: The position of the Restaurant and Business Alliance was misrepresented in the previous version of this article. Their true position is reported below. The state's alcohol control board is looking atlifting the ban on happy hour but Massachusetts restauranteurs are largely against the idea. About two dozen of them showed up to a hearing on the topic in Boston Tuesday, and all but one spoke against legalizing cheap drinks. "The majority of them were in favor of maintaining the happy hour ban," Jon Carlisle, spokesman for the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission, told Patch. What the board heard in Boston largely mirrors what it has heard in other parts of the state at the three previous hearings on happy hour, Carlisle said…
Petco celebrates the opening of its Charlestown "Unleashed" store, and local pet shop Durty Harry's celebrates the Boys & Girls Club.
Petco announce recently that its Unleashed location in Charlestown would open Aug. 24. Not to be outdone, Michelle Fournier, owner of Durty Harry's, hopped on the national chain's celebration weekend with an event that will benefit Charlestown groups. Here's what she had to say about it: A clean dog and a donation to the Charlestown community, how’s that you say?? This Saturday, August 25 come into Durty Harry’s at 287 Main Street and ALL proceeds from self-wash go directly back to the community in the form of cash donations to Charlestown Boys & Girls Club and Charlestown Mother’s Association. We supply the tubs, the shampoo and conditioner, towels and blow dryer, basically all the tools to have a blast, you supply your pooch and some …
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Boston Restaurant Week is back for the summer, and runs from Aug. 19-24 and Aug. 26-31.
Foodies rejoice! Boston Restaurant Week is back for the summer, and runs from Aug. 19-24 and Aug. 26-31. From a trendy meal in Back Bay to a classic dining experience in the North End, it's the perfect time to experience a restaurant you've never been to before, and explore the many culinary options Boston has to offer. Also, follow RestoWeekBoston on Twitter for the latest news, recommendations and peeks at local menus. And of course the price is right: With more than 200 restaurants to choose from there's something for everybody—though there isn't much in Charlestown. Of all the town's eateries, only one, Tangierino, with its Mediterranean cuisine decided to participate in the city-wide festivities. You can search nearbyby neighborhood …
James "Gem" Coughlin
2:53 pm on Wednesday, December 12, 2012
@AnnJ why on God's green earth would a business owner conduct a survey to see if he or she should sell his or her holdings? That is the most preposterous and possibly most idiotic suggestion I have ever read. Next thing you know you'll want the Sox to survey what weekends work best with locals for homestands. C'mon. more ›