The latest Natick, Mass., business news:
The Hive is buzzing in Natick Center
We stopped by Natick Center’s newest retail venture, The Hive located at 22 N. Main St., to see what the multi-tenanted space is all about. On our way in we admired the flower boxes filled with blooming daffodils and hyacinths—curb appeal counts. Inside, the large space is loosely divided into about nine individual boutiques, each curated by a different small business owner. One area showcases vintage goods, artisanal soaps, and tea towels with bold graphics; children’s clothing, books, and toys are tucked into a front-window space; hand-made dolls wait to be taken home; a gallery wall displays art; and more.
That’s right now. A few months later a couple of businesses may have moved on to make way for, say, a maker who sells hand-knitted sweaters, or perhaps someone who handcrafts products from honey. It’s all part of the grand plan of the place.
Children’s clothing, books, and toys are tucked into a front-window space.An important goal of the collaborative is to help small, local businesses to move on from a residency at The Hive to permanent tenancy elsewhere. What The Hive offers the members of its collective is a first step in running a business. Face it, between supervising (and paying for) renovations, buying fixtures and inventory, and hiring staff, going it alone in a traditional bricks-and-mortar location can be a big, scary step. The Hive offers a shared space with shared responsibilities, which keeps expenses low.
Jill Hourihan of Metro Pets Boutique in Natick is behind the venture and explained, “What you’ll find with pop-up shops is that they’re usually the tenant between tenants. If you’re only there for a few months, how much can you invest in the community and how much can the community invest in you? This will be here for at least five years. We’ll have residencies between three and 12 months.”
Vintage needlepoint (to left of the hutch, which is also for sale), tea towels and aprons with bold graphics, and more are casually arranged.Meet several of the collaborative’s members:
From left: Jill Hourihan, Melinda Filocamo, Kristin Mustonen, Sarah Grandy, Isabel Miller, Molly MolloyIf joining The Hive sounds sweet, apply for residency.
Meet your next health practitioner at Holistic Healing
Holistic Healing
, based in South Natick, is a group of health practitioners focusing on healing all parts of the body and mind. Their providers offer therapy, acupuncture, physical therapy, nutrition counseling, energy healing, reiki, yoga and meditation, grief and addiction counseling, and qigong healing bodywork.
On Wednesday May 3, from 6:30-8:30, Holistic Healing practitioners will be holding an open house in their serene and welcoming office space at 8 Pleasant St, Natick where attendees can learn about the holistic mind and body health services available to them. Light refreshments will be provided.
Attendees can sign up for a complimentary physical therapy postural or injury screen, get an intro nutrition counseling session, enjoy mini reiki and acupuncture sessions, learn about energy healing and attend a mini meditation workshop and qigong and self massage workshop.
Stop by to see how Holistic Healing practitioners can help you.
Thank you to new advertiser Write Ahead
We’re excited to have Write Ahead, which offers after-school and summer writing classes, as a new Natick Report sponsor. Please check out Write Ahead’s website to learn more about its analytic writing, college application essay, and other class offerings.
Reach our growing Natick Report audience by sponsoring our site.
Can’t wait to visit the Hive!
What a great idea — and it’s even better in real life! On opening day I took home two vintage brass pots, ponytail holders, a card, and a beautiful room fragrance. I can’t wait to go back!