Natick Report

Since 2020: More than you really want to know about Natick, Mass.

Natick Business Buzz: Pixlcat Butter Mochi Cafe on the way; Let’s Play Collectibles opens; Longtime dental practice shuttered

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The latest Natick, Mass., business news:
 

Pixlcat Butter Mochi Cafe coming to Natick

 
Pixlcat Butter Mochi Cafepixlcat is a mouthful, and the business hopes you’ll fill your mouth with its chewy, baked Hawaiian desserts when it opens at 5 Washington St. this fall.

This is located at the former Strike Up The Band site in between the mysterious Flats apartment complex that has been rising for years and Morse Institute Library.

Pixlcat is the brainchild of the three Lee brothers—Dennis, David, and Daniel—and their business partner and friend Jeff Kim. Their restaurant roots started in Boston, where the Lees’ mother ran a Thai-Korean-Japanese eatery. The brothers ran restaurants and a farm in California, COVID messed things up, but they made a comeback with a focused business on coffee and gluten-free butter mochi in a variety of flavors, including black sesame and matcha.

They still run a cafe in San Francisco, and had one in Charleston, Mass. The Charleston one has closed, and now plans are to open a new cafe in Natick.

You may have run across them at local farmers’ markets, where they are regulars.

 

Let’s Play Collectibles opens

 
letsplayLet’s Play Collectibles recently opened for business at 257 Worcester St. (Rte. 9 west) next to the Shaanxi Gourmet restaurant.

Let’s Play offers Pokémon, sports, and other trading and game cards. It has other locations in New Hampshire.
 

 

Natick dental practice shuts down

 
Natick Dental Associates has been shuttered after plans to sell the practice fell through.

The office had been led by Dr. Paul Galaid, who according to Natick Dental’s website practiced dentistry in MetroWest since 1991.

 

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‘Twin Peaks’ actors taking roadshow to Natick: We chatted up Dana Ashbrook (aka, Bobby Briggs)

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When I got hit up for an actor interview by organizers of the “Twin Peaks: Conversation with the Stars” show coming to TCAN in Natick on Sept. 16 and 17, I had to make a confession.  While interested in doing the interview, I’d somehow never seen the iconic early ’90s TV show from Mark Frost and David Lynch, even though I’m plenty old enough to have remembered its original airing and have seen many of Lynch’s movies.

So I started bingeing “Twin Peaks,” and got partway into the second of the original show’s two seasons. So I got to know Bobby Briggs— the rebellious jock and ex-boyfriend of the late Laura Palmer—by the time I spoke with Dana Ashbrook. He’s the actor who portrayed Briggs in the original series, as well as in the prequel and later revival series. In “Twin Peaks: The Return,” Bobby had become a police deputy… I couldn’t avoid that spoiler in prepping for the interview.

Bobby Briggs (courtesy of Paramount CBS)
Dana Ashbrook as Bobby Briggs in “Twin Peaks” (courtesy of Paramount CBS)

Ashbrook, who has appeared in many other TV shows like “Dawson’s Creek” and “The Outer Limits” as well as theatre productions and movies over the years, will be coming to TCAN alongside Ray Wise (aka, Leland Palmer), Kimmy Robertson (aka, Lucy Moran), and Sabrina S. Sutherland, executive producer of “Twin Peaks: The Return.” They’ll be sharing behind-the-scenes stories, answering questions, taking photos with fans, and signing autographs during the sessions. The events are presented by David Roy Williams Entertainment under license from Paramount Location-Based Experiences, and moderated by Twin Peaks and David Lynch expert Josh Eisenstadt.
 

 

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Ashbrook says he remembers the details of his “Twin Peaks” performances pretty well, sort of like college alums might recall their time at school many years later, though acknowledges super fans have him beat.

“I remember certain things pretty vividly and clearly and then I’ll catch an episode or scene and don’t remember that day,” he says, adding that the show was done “in a quick amount of time, but a very intense amount of time for everyone involved.”

Ashbrook got the gig in part through a connection with the casting director, but then nailed it after meeting with the co-creators in a get-to-know-you session during which he talked about the theatre company he was in. He was wowed by the script for the pilot, dubbed “Northwest Passage.”

The San Diego native comes from a theatrical family—his mom and dad met while taking part in a play. Growing up, Ashbrook said members of his family took part in summer musicals. “It’s just sort of what our family did,” he said. After graduating high school, Ashbrook followed one of his sisters, also an actor, to LA and worked with the same agent.

Dana Ashbrook as Bobby Briggs in "Twin Peaks: The Return"
Dana Ashbrook as Bobby Briggs in “Twin Peaks: The Return” (Photo courtesy of Paramount:CBS)

Perhaps Ashbrook’s most famous “Twin Peaks” scene took place in episode 1 of season 2, when his stoic father, Major Briggs, shared an optimistic vision he’d had about how things would turn out for his son. Up to that point in the show, the two had never seen eye to eye, but many consider the major’s monologue at the Double R Diner to be a turning point for the father and son, and a harbinger of Bobby’s eventual evolution from a troublemaking Lothario character to a respected law enforcement professional.

“That scene had a lot of impact on some people,” says Ashbrook, who continues to act, including in a play about professional wrestling called “Masters of Puppets” performed in Connecticut.

The actor says he really enjoys interacting with “Twin Peaks” fans.

“They’re usually super creative and artistic… lovely, sweet people.” Couples have become lifelong friends or even married after meeting at “Twin Peaks” events, says Ashbrook, who will be making his first visit to Natick (he does have family in Massachusetts).

What’s fun now is seeing the “next gens,” young fans turned onto “Twin Peaks” by their parents or even grandparents, original fans of the show, Ashbrook says “You might think it’d be too slow for them, but they love it,” he says.

Twin Peaks event

 

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Natick no longer has a director of equity, inclusion & outreach, but vows to carry on mission

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Troy Smith became Natick’s first-ever director of equity, inclusion & outreach in mid-2023 following a year-plus search during which the town started, stopped and restarted its recruiting effort and changed the title from chief diversity officer to director of EIO. By the end of last year, Smith’s tenure had ended, as the American Plan Rescue Act (ARPA) grant money used to fund the position had run out and the town decided not to finance the position through other means.

Publicly, Smith’s departure was a quiet one. His name even remained on the town’s employment directory until this summer, when we started asking about whatever became of him and the position (the position does live on in the town’s job classification and pay plan). Smith continues as a professor and program coordinator at North Shore Community College, where he has worked for decades.

Reporting on the end of Smith’s position in Natick, the climate for DEI jobs regionally, and what comes next for Natick on this front proved difficult. We reached out to the town administrator, Smith, the Select Board, a School Committee member, the Finance Committee, past Equity Task Force members, a local nonprofit that had heralded Smith’s hiring, the Massachusetts Municipal Association (local government trade group) and its chief equity officer, that official’s successor as DEI director in Arlington, Mass., the Racial Equity Group (which did a DEI survey for the MMA), and a Natick Public Schools employee who worked with Smith. Of those, we heard back from the Select Board, Finance Committee, a school employee, a School Committee member, a non-profit leader, and a couple of former Equity Task Force members.

Of those who did get back, there was consensus that the work that this position was established to undertake was important to continue, though hardly anyone was willing to comment publicly. Whether it was the political climate, it being summertime, messages not getting through (mainly emails or LinkedIn), or that people truly had nothing to say on this, we can’t say.

Troy Smith at Juneteenth e
Troy Smith speaking at a Juneteenth event

 

Here’s what we do know: Town of Natick officials say they intend to continue the sort of work Smith was hired to do. During his stint as EIO director, Smith worked internally with HR on diversity efforts, and externally spearheaded cultural events such as a remembrance of the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington, was visible at others, such as the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Celebration, and helped take Town Hall on the road to West Natick (we interviewed Smith in February, 2024 to check in on his early progress as director of EIO).

Audi Lynch, Natick’s METCO director, told us that he valued Smith’s partnership as Lynch started into his job fostering belonging, strengthening relationships, and supporting students and families across the school district.

Select Board Chair Kathryn Coughlin wrote to us that the board “made a deliberate choice not to continue budgeting for a grant-funded position in the middle of a request to the voters for a $7 million override. One of the most frequent and fair criticisms directed at both the town and the schools is that we continue funding grant-funded positions after their original grant support runs out, which increases the town’s operating budget and pension liabilities year over year. Given that we were asking taxpayers to approve a substantial override, the Board thought it would have been inconsistent and inconsiderate to simultaneously absorb a grant-funded position that had always been understood as time-limited.”

The town addressed questions about about ARPA-funded initiatives in a rolling FAQ during the lead-up to the override vote.

Coughlin said “ARPA funding was designed to support time-limited initiatives that targeted support for populations disproportionately impacted by the Pandemic. The position produced real programming and outreach during Troy’s tenure targeting and supporting these populations. What it didn’t produce was a structure that could sustain itself once grant funding ended without competing directly against core town services for General Fund dollars.”

According to the town’s annual reports, Smith was paid about $300k over his two-and-a-half years with Natick.

At a board retreat earlier this year, members discussed a commitment to embedding diversity, equity, inclusion, and outreach values into policy and human resources practices, in part by reviewing how other Massachusetts cities and towns handle this. Town administration is also looking for ways to incorporate equity and inclusion work into existing job functions in areas such as HR and Community Services.

Cody Jacobs is leading the Select Board’s research in coordination with Town Administrator Jamie Errickson. Coughlin says she has also connected Jacobs with a select board member in Sharon, which has a volunteer committee with representatives from town bodies that reports back to the select board.

“That structure, which encourages broader participation with a direct reporting line to the Select Board, and no dependency on a single grant-funded role, may be a more sustainable model for Natick to consider and, in my opinion, is consistent with the recommendations outlined by the Equity Task Force when it proposed a DEI committee,” Coughlin says.

Indeed, Natick formed an Equity Task Force in 2020, in the wake of George Floyd’s murder in Minnesota, and the group recommended that Natick establish a standing DEI committee. But the town struggled to find enough candidates for what would have been a 7-member body, so decided to hold off until a director was hired, and then revisit the idea. The Select Board asserted over the summer of 2021 that it would sponsor a Fall Town Meeting article that would pave the way for Natick to hire its first chief diversity officer. Town Meeting in fall of 2021 OK’d funding for the position, and Smith was hired. The standing committee was not established, but some version of it might have life yet.

If you believe it’s important for news like this to be covered, please consider supporting our work via a tax-deductible donation or reach out to if you’re with or know of an organization that would support us through grant funding. Thank you.

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Natick’s new T Market raises bar for ribbon cuttings at colorful grand opening

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T Market mall
Theresa Liao, one of T Market’s owners

 
T Market, the Asian supermarket that has been operating at Natick Mall since the start of June, held its official grand opening on Thursday complete with a lion dance by students from Wah Lum Kung Fu & Tai Chi Academy; lots of free samples; and the most over-the-top ribbon cutting we’ve ever seen. The store, which Natick Report first wrote about in May of 2025, spans tens of thousand of square feet, and is filled with groceries, beauty products, and a small food hall with noodles, sushi, and more.

T Market succeeds Wegmans in the space. Natick Report back in May of 2025 was the first to report on the business coming to the mall.

Following a series of remarks from state and local officials at the grand opening, T Market owners, and other partners, a crowd numbering around 150 watched as about two dozen guests were trusted with special golden scissors to cut through a loooong red ribbon to mark T Market’s arrival.

A spectacular lion dance followed, with drums banging and lettuce thrown at the entrance to the store on the second floor of the mall.

Lots and lots and lots of photos and video were taken, including the ones shared here.

 

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Theresa Liao, one of the owners, spoke of the challenges in getting the store open, but said getting to the point of the opening made all the hard work worth it. She gave special thanks to employees and business partners for getting T Market to this point.

State Sen. Karen Spilka called T Market “a phenomenal, beautiful store,” and thanked the owners for investing in MetroWest.

Attendees at the grand opening, as well as people who just happened to be shopping, enjoyed free samples of gyoza, beef, chips, beverages, and more.

The wide aisles feature a colorful display of groceries, from long green bitter melons to menacing king crab. Packaged ramen, boxed drinks, baked goods, and more offer seemingly endless opportunities to fill shopping carts.

The market’s current schedule of operations is seven days a week, 8:30am — 10:30pm. Shoppers are encouraged to park in Garage F and use the skybridge to get to the store.

T Market mall
Natick Report shared its best wishes for good fortune

 

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T Market mall
All the VIPs were there…

 

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Natick Select Board talks and talks about Main Street Improvement Project

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Main Street Natick Center
Photo by Maureen L. Sullivan

 
The Natick Select Board spent more than two hours during its Aug. 19 meeting discussing the reasons for undertaking the Main Street Improvement Project, the pros and cons of different approaches, and possible next steps. While the town and board have hosted numerous sessions regarding potential Natick Center renovations, the elected body hadn’t had an opportunity to truly deliberate on the subject in keeping with open meeting laws.

The conversation included a back-to-basics summary of why the project is happening—roadway repair, safety for all users, economic development, etc.—and what the board will actually vote on. Board members also addressed public feedback such as concerns that the town is undertaking the project as a grant-chasing exercise in that the cost to the town for redoing Main Street includes options that would require town funds vs. grant funding (planning work to this date has come from state monies). Board Chair Kathryn Coughlin made clear at the start of the session that no decision had been made and that there wouldn’t be a vote that night despite that being listed as a possibility on the meeting agenda. She also reminded her colleagues and the public that the board adopted a vision and values in 2024 that it committed to considering when making major decisions.

A point of emphasis during this meeting, as well as previous ones, is that the board is voting initially just to get the first 25% of design underway on concepts that range from limited bicycle support to advanced cycling infrastructure (the most bare bones option would simply involve repaving and limited sidewalk work). In other words, adding bike lanes or not and other changes won’t be set in stone: Design work would start and project leaders will be required to address a handful of lingering questions and concerns raised by each of the concepts laid out to date as the town conducts further research on a handful of related issues from parking availability to cycling demand and habits. A working group reviewing the options reported back to the Select Board earlier this summer and recommended by an 8-7 vote going with a hybrid approach that would include bike lanes.

“One thing we have to do is choose a concept,” Coughlin said of the board. “Because we have to give the engineering team, and the transportation group, and town administration, and DPW, and public safety direction on what it is we want to see.”

main st comparison
See presentation sharing during Aug. 19 Select Board meeting

 
During the board’s deliberation, members were able to raise issues based on their individual research. For example, Coughlin described having read again through a lengthy FAQ on the project published by the town and it got her wondering whether there could be a way for the town to adopt a concept rerouting bikes around Main Street, citing rights of way/easement issues, without losing the chance for Massachusetts Department of Transportation support and federal Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) funding. The board further discussed the pros and cons of routing cyclists around Main Street, particularly those coming or going in a north or south direction along Rte. 27.

Coughlin and fellow member Linda Wollschlager separately shared efforts to research main street projects in other communities, including the college town of Northampton in western Massachusetts, even though it is different from Natick in many ways. Coughlin’s seeking to find out what businesses thought about the project, which is currently in one of those unpredictable-yet-predictable Eversource-inspired delays (something for Natick officials to file away whenever its project gets going). Wollschlager said depending on who you ask, businesses were for or against it. She added: “One of the things I wanted to know is countrywide are there any designs [for communities similar to Natick] like what we’re proposing, and the answer came back ‘no.'”

Morgan Griffiths, the Natick transportation/economic development planner heavily involved in the project, did point to the town of Wakefield, Mass., as a community undertaking a downtown project that looks to include sidewalk-level bike lanes and angle parking.

From here, the discussion segued into a discussion of different parking options, from parallel to angle to backing in (the latter, a hairy situation for those of us with older vehicles without backup cameras). Board member Kristen Pope noted that parking preferences can be influenced by where a person grew up and learned to drive. Fellow member Cody Jacobs raised the idea of having different parking types on opposite sides of the street to accomodate, say, bike lanes on one side.

Board members also lamented not having solid data yet on Natick’s overall parking situation, as one factor to consider with the different Main Street options is the loss or gain of parking spaces. Though Coughlin did state that building a parking garage is not an option due to the steep cost.
 

Addressing public concerns

 
Among the top concerns raised by the public has to do with the possible narrowing of Main Street and the impact that would have on traffic flow at the Rte. 27/135 intersection, statistically one of the state’s most dangerous. Narrower streets are known to slow down traffic, though as Jacobs pointed out, traffic signalization plays a big role in flow. The narrowing of the street and sidewalk bumpouts also reduce the time it takes for people to cross, improving vehicular traffic flow, Wollschlager said.

There are also questions about the true demand for commuter and recreational cycling to or through downtown, though as Pope said you need to look at least a few years out when thinking about this, and as Jacobs added, the town’s efforts to improve cycling infrastructure fits with numerous Natick planning efforts from its adoption of a Complete Streets Policy to its 2030+ Master Plan and Net Zero Action Plan.

Board member Bruce Evans noted the big differences between protected and unprotected bike lanes, and when it comes to bike lanes on Main Street, he said the town can’t take a “Field of Dreams” approach that assumes if Natick builds it, the cyclists will come, as he’s heard arguments for and against bike lanes from cyclists themselves. “Are we taking an existing traffic problem and potentially making it worse by introducing complexity… ?” he asked later during the meeting.

Wollschlager threw into the mix the rise of e-bikes as well, and how they could factor into Natick’s planning. State and local rules for different classes of e-bikes are emerging.

Not unrelated, Coughlin switched to talking to about Natick’s changing demographics over the years and what it might look like going forward based on U.S. Census, UMass, and other resources (Natick’s population is expected to grow 30% by 2050, and the 65+ age contingent is expected to grow by 50%.

“So when we think about the Main Street corridor and we think about our residents who are going to be living here, the first thing I thought of no matter what we do is we need bumpouts,” she said.  “We need pedestrian bumpouts so we don’t have people trying to walk from one corner of Main Street to the other corner diagonally across that huge thing and hustling.” (Bumpouts are a traffic calming design that extends the curb line and sidewalk into the roadway.)

Building on that, Coughlin said the town needs to prioritize making its streets as safe as possible for everyone, regardless of how they get around.

Jacobs said bike lanes would seem to be one way to make things safer, whereas cyclists today either ride on the street (as they are allowed to) or sidewalks, and don’t have a separate path of their own. How Natick might design buffers between parking spaces, bike lanes, and sidewalks is something Jacobs said he’d want to see in early design work, depending on which concept the board endorses.
 

About the cost…

 
Basic repaving is estimated to cost the town $2m, while more involved options are projected to have a construction cost of $11m, entirely grant funded (though increased snow removal costs can’t be overlooked).

Board member Evans said he was “disgusted” by claims that the town’s decision making on this is being driven by available grant funding. “We are being driven by what we think Natick needs” based on input from numerous constituencies, he said.

Wollschlager said “If we thought this was the wrong thing for downtown it wouldn’t matter if it was free or if they paid us money for it. However, we do need to consider the financial cost of any of these” options, she said.

Pope said “I see this as an opportunity to do improvements that we won’t have. There’s no forecast in the next five years that we’re going to have an additional $11 million lying around” to dedicate to such a project, she said.

Jacobs said: “We have a responsibility to the taxpayer to look at grants…”

Coughlin warned that Natick has “deferred maintenance to dangerous levels—levels that are going to cost us far more in the future than if we just did the common sense thing now.”

In the end, Coughlin returned to her main considerations as the board readies to vote. “Safety, safety, safety, safety, safety,” she repeated, in commenting on the potential for the hybrid concept, acknowledging flaws would need to be addressed.

The board agreed to add an agenda item on this topic to its Sept. 2 meeting, just to possibly sort out a few things in advance of a fuller discussion at a Sept. 9 meeting to be mainly devoted to the Main Street Improvement Project and a likely vote.
 

 
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