Our round-up of the latest Natick, Mass., business news:
Got tips on business openings, closings or whatever, feel free to email us here: natickreport@gmail.com
Mexicali up next for outdoor dining
Mexicali Cantina Grill on Rte. 135 in Natick is up next to seek Select Board approval for serving food and drinks outside.
The outdoor dining area will be both on the grass in front of the restaurant and in the two parallel parking spaces to the side of the building. The proposal will permit space for up to 32 diners at 8 tables placed 6 feet apart, according to the application.
Lookout Farm looks to be asking for additional outdoor opportunities as well.
Mexicali is ready to go if Select Board says yes
Sur la Table to close, and other Natick Mall news
Sur la Table, the high-end cookware shop in the Natick Mall and other locations, has filed for bankruptcy. The Natick store is open for now, but if you want to get the last of the goods, you’d better get in there soon. In a phone call to the Route 9 shop, a rep couldn’t give me an exact closing date, but said they would remain in the mall “until everything sells.”
That will likely translate into an August or September time period. We’ll dearly miss the place that provided us with kitchen things from slotted serving spoons that never bent, to Le Creuset cast iron pots, to dishtowels. So many dishtowels.
Sur La Table has other nearby locations at The Mall at Chestnut Hill; Copley Place in Boston; and the Burlington Mall.
Neiman Marcus, another Natick Mall tenant, has also filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. No word yet on the status of its Natick store, which a voice recording says is “open by appointment only”.
Other big name retailers that have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and that have Natick Mall stores include Brooks Brothers (“temporarily closed” according to a voice recording); J. Crew (they’re open at the mall); and DavidsTea, which Boston Eater reported will close all 42 of its United States stores (an internet search says the location is “temporarily closed”).
Uni-T making moves to Natick Center
Uni-T, which describes itself as a combined art gallery, T-shirt and gift shop, has closed the Natick Mall shop it started in 2012 and is planning to open later this summer on Court Street in Natick Center. Multitalented owner Eujin Kim Neilan features her own illustrated children’s books, hand-printed T-shirts and other creations, plus those of other local artists. Dance, music and book readings are among the sorts of events Uni-T has held in the past.
The business has humble roots, with Eujin starting in a home studio, branching out to farmers’ markets, and going from there. Sounds like a perfect fit for Natick’s artsy center.
Sweetwaters Coffee and Tea
Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea is another Natick Center spot slated to open up soon in the former Renew storefront, across from Natick Common. The coffeehouse’s website says they “celebrate classic café fare alongside globally influenced coffees and teas in an environment that is both classic and friendly.”
Sweetwater has about 40 locations throughout the United States.
The public art installation was conceived by members of the Natick Center Cultural District, SPARK Kindness, local artists, businesses and organizations to help keep the community connected during the health crisis. The installation will remain there through Aug. 9, then portions of it will be redistributed to other venues, including the Natick Historical Society and Walnut Hill School.
