entering natick sign

entering natick sign

Natick Report

More than you really want to know about Natick, Mass.

  • Subscribe to daily email
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Eat
  • Schools
  • Summer Camp
  • Embracing diversity
  • Charities/Community
  • Arts
  • Kids
  • Business Buzz
  • Environment
  • Top 10 things to do (under normal circumstances)
  • The Swellesley Report
  • COVID-19
  • Beyond Natick
  • History
  • Government
  • Support independent journalism

Natick business buzz: Rte. 9 welcomes Golftec, Fancy Pants & Curion; Fresh start at Cloverleaf Mall; Salmon taps medical director

February 10, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Our roundup of the latest Natick, Mass., business news:

Golftec fills former Fresh City space

Rte. 9 in Natick and Framingham has become even more of a golfing mecca with the arrival of Golftec in the former Fresh City space at 1400 Worcester St., in Natick.

Golftec rte 9 east

That’s a short walk from PGA Superstore at 1398 Worcester St on the eastbound side, just down the road from Dick’s, and not far from Miniature Golf on the Village Green (OK, a slightly different game). Across Rte. 9 in Framingham is Golf Galaxy, which offers gear and lessons, and down Speen Street in Natick, KOHR Golf Center provides lessons, camps and a driving range.

Golftec, open Tuesday-Saturday at the 3,800 sq. ft. Rte. 9 location, features six bays where customers can get fitted for clubs, take lessons, and practice. Personal coaches use technology for motion measurement and video analysis. An indoor putting green includes “a motion technology that analyzes face angle, loft and path direction of putting strokes,” according to the business’s website.

C.J. Perry, regional marketing specialist at Golftec’s Denver headquarters, says Golftec seeks to stand out from other golf businesses in Natick in part through its comprehensive club fittings, which take 60-90 minutes. Golftec has demo clubs on hand, then orders clubs from the likes of Callaway and Titleist fit to individuals’ specs. “We want our students or customers fit to their game based on level of performance, body type, and swing.

Golftec actually used to be inside a local Golfsmith location, but has since shifted to more of a standalone business model that allows it to generate revenue from its services as well as equipment sales that stem from club fittings, etc.

Perry cites an upswing in golf popularity that took place during the pandemic and continues as more people work from home and are able to sneak in extra rounds thanks to less time spent commuting to work. Golftec customers tend to be those with more experience, but newcomers are welcome. Expect sales in March as we head into the New England golf season.

Golftec has been around since 1995 and lists some 220 locations around the world.

golftec

Fancy Pants relocates from Newton

Second hand kids’ apparel shop Fancy Pants closed down its Newton store in December and has opened on Rte. 9 west in Natick at 255 Worcester St. They buy and sell gently used children’s clothing, as well as toys, strollers, etc.

They’ve got a buyback program, too.

Curious about Curion?

Curion, located at the former Moe’s Southwest Grill and Pizza Hut space in Sherwood Plaza, specializes in “sensory evaluation” and consumer product research.

curion

 

Curion’s customers include companies in the food & beverage, personal care, beauty, fine fragrance, and home & fabric care industries. It has testing facilities across the country, including in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, New York, and San Francisco.

Curion recently invited locals to get paid for testing products.

It is also in the hiring process.

We reached out to Curion for more, and will update this post if we hear back.

Cloverleaf Mall update: Self-storage out, but a fresh start; Redi marijuana shop getting ready

The Natick Planning Board returned to the subject of Cloverleaf Mall’s failed attempt to get a self-storage facility into space next to what’s slated to be Natick’s first recreational marijuana shop.

During a sometimes contentious Jan. 5 Planning Board meeting (56 minutes into the Natick Pegasus recording), the Board voted 3-2 vote in favor of the amendment, but that wasn’t enough votes for approval. The board continued the hearing to its Feb. 2 meeting, where the applicant would have a chance to explain the purpose and intent of its proposed withdrawal (in writing or in person). A motion to reconsider the original vote could take place.

The applicant did not appear at the Feb. 2 meeting. About three hours and 21 minutes into the Natick Pegasus recording, Director of Community & Economic Development Amanda Loomis had spoken to the applicant about potential other uses.

“I think it has been agreed that self-storage isn’t the best use for this site,” she said. “But there are some other really good uses that could be considered but that could take time.” These uses would also entail loading and unloading in the back, a topic of discussion during the earlier Board meetings.

The Board’s denial of the original wouldn’t allow for the applicant to return with these potential better uses, though allowing the applicant to withdraw the original proposal would.

In the end, the Board voted to allow withdrawal of the application.

Meanwhile, the recreational marijuana shop, dubbed Redi (from Cypress Tree Management), has finalized its architecture plans and submitted for a building permit in Natick. So construction on that could start soon.

“Our timeline from there to opening will have a number of dependencies including final inspections and approvals from both the Town of Natick and from the Cannabis Control Commission,” says Victor Chiang, CEO of Redi, which has a shop up and running in Newton. “We’re very excited to work through this process as the town and all of its representatives have been a pleasure to work with and have been diligent in helping us through the process.”

Salmon taps medical director

Salmon at Natick, a senior living community on Rte. 9 (Whitney Place), has named Dr. Asif Merchant as its medical director.

Merchant joins Salmon from Newton-Wellesley Hospital, where he works as chief of geriatrics and extended care network, and as a partner of New England Community Medical Services.

In September 2020, Merchant was appointed to Governor Charlie Baker’s COVID Vaccine Advisory Group.


Natick Report ad

Filed Under: Business, Kids, Sports

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Tip us off!

Please send tips, photos, ideas to natickreport@gmail.com

Advertisements

Categories

  • Animals
  • Art
  • Bacon Free Library
  • Beyond Natick
  • Books
  • Boston Marathon
  • Business
  • Camps
  • Charity/Fundraising
  • Churches
  • Community
  • Construction
  • COVID-19
  • Education
  • Election
  • Embracing diversity
  • Entertainment
  • Environment
  • Fashion
  • Firefighters
  • Food
  • Gardens
  • Government
  • Health
  • History
  • Holidays
  • Kids
  • Media
  • Military
  • Morse Institute Library
  • Natick Election 2022
  • Natick Historical Society
  • Natick track
  • Neighbors
  • Obituaries & remembrances
  • Outdoors
  • Parents
  • Police & crime
  • Real estate
  • Recycling Center
  • Religion
  • Restaurants
  • Schools
  • Seniors
  • Shopping
  • Sports
  • Technology
  • Theater
  • Town election 2021
  • Transportation
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized
  • Veterans
  • Volunteering
  • Voting
  • Weather
lion publishers
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Get our email newsletter

* indicates required

Most Read Posts

  • From BYOB to seating rules, big changes for Natick alcoholic beverage licenses up for discussion
  • Natick IMAX 3D theater reopening on May 27 with Top Gun: Maverick
  • Natick firefighters graduate from academy
  • Natick portion of Cochituate Rail Trail to get artsy come September
  • Natick Select Board nomination papers available June 1

Click image to read The Swellesley Report

The Swellesley Report

Events calendar

  1. Wonderful Wellesley event: Free Family Fun & Games

    June 4 @ 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm
  2. Lilja Elementary School Carnival

    June 5 @ 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
  3. Natick Art Association, Art in the Park

    June 12 @ 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
  4. Public reading of Frederick Douglass’ 1852 speech, “What to a Slave is the Fourth of July?”

    June 26 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

View All Events

Pages

  • Private Schools in Natick (and beyond)
  • Natick Summer Camps (and beyond)
  • Where to Eat in Natick, Mass
  • Natick, Mass., history
  • Natick government
  • Natick No-Nos
  • Embracing diversity in Natick
  • Where to worship in Natick
  • Kid stuff (sports, clubs, activities in Natick, Mass.)
  • Contribute to Natick Report
  • Natick public schools
  • Where to sled in Natick, Mass.
  • Natick COVID-19 & vaccine news
  • Natick’s zip code & post offices
  • Natick charitable and community action groups
  • Top 10 things to do in Natick, Mass.
  • Natick Arts/Entertainment
  • About Natick Report
  • Advertise on Natick Report
  • Natick rules: Chickens yes, roosters no
  • Natick Election 2022, political candidates advertising
  • Natick election 2022—candidate interviews

© 2022 Natick Report
Site by Tech-Tamer · Login