Natick Business Buzz: PGA Tour Superstore teeing off Saturday; Hot Doogy getting warmer; Godiva soon to be gone; salons score state grants

Our round-up of the latest Natick, Mass., business news:

PGA Tour Superstore grand opening

PGA Tour Superstore on Saturday, Jan. 30 will open its newest location at the former Michaels arts & crafts space at 1398 Worcester St. (Rte. 9 east), as we first reported back in October. The store features golf and tennis equipment and apparel, plus in-house repair services, lessons, and clinics, along with free custom fittings.

The 34,000 sq. ft. store boasts six interactive simulators, as well as a 1,500 sq. ft. putting green is also part of the PGA Tour shopping experience.

The retailer says that the pandemic has sparked renewed interest in golf in that it can be played in a socially distanced way: “According to the National Golf Foundation, the number of rounds played is up almost 11% compared to 2019 and in New England specifically, rounds are up more than 53%!”

This location is PGA Tour Superstore’s third Boston-area location and 45th store overall.

As part of the grand opening, PGA Tour Superstore will donate $15,000 to First Tee of Massachusetts, an organization that introduces golf to young people.

Hot Doogy gets closer

Also getting closer to reality is Hot Doogy, a Brazilian-style hot dog business to be located at Sherwood Plaza on Rte. 9 east.

“We are proud to announce that we have a grand opening date! Saturday, March 06, save this date on your calendar and get ready to get messy with our loaded “doogies”, don’t worry we have plenty of napkins! 😋”

Godiva soon to be gone

Natick Mall will soon suffer another departure, as Godiva has announced plans to close or sell its nearly 130 U.S. stores by the end of March. The news comes about a month after the business announced a new CEO, “Marking New Era of Growth and Accessibility for Iconic Brand.”

Salons score state grants

Four more Natick businesses got much needed funding via Round #5 of the state’s COVID-19 Small Business Grant Program.

During this fifth round of funding, $45M in grants were distributed among 1,100 small businesses. The awards to the four Natick businesses in this round, including three nail salons and one pet business, total $155K and ranged from $25K to $75K. More than 40 Natick businesses have been recipients of grants across multiple rounds.