Natick Report

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

Natick Business Buzz: Mall unveiling time capsule; Big Papi taking a walk; Wedding and Bar Mitzvah Expo on tap

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The latest Natick, Mass., business news:

Mall unveiling time capsule from ’94

The Natick Mall on Wednesday, Oct. 12 will unveil a time capsule from 1994, back when the rebuilt shopping center featured tenants such as Filene’s, Jordan Marsh, and Sears. The contents will be revealed and on display between noon and 4pm in the Infinity Pool Court area of the Mall.

natick time capsule

 

Retro music, gifts, and an appearance by the DeLorean time machine from “Back to the Future.”

The time capsule was filled with memorabilia, including articles from newspapers—whatever those are.

Separately, the Mall has announced expanded holiday shopping hours:

*Thanksgiving Day                Closed
*Black Friday                         8 a.m. – 9 p.m.
*Monday – Saturday            10 a.m. – 9 p.m. (starting Friday, December 9, 2022)
*Sunday                                 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. (starting Sunday, December 11, 2022)
*Christmas Eve                      9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
*Christmas Day                      Closed

Individual retailer hours may vary.

Big Papi going for a Mall walk

Former Red Sox star David “Big Papi” Ortiz, who collects endorsements like he did homers, is taking part in a marketing event at Natick Mall on Oct. 10 at 10am. He’ll be touting a Medicare-related service and going for a walk around the mall with attendees. Register for the event.

 

Thank you to new advertiser: Wedding and Bar Mitzvah Expo

If you are planning a Bar Mitzvah, Bat Mitzvah, Wedding, Sweet Sixteen, Prom, Anniversary or other special occasion you will get to meet and compare over 50 local experts to make your event shine. Save time and money by picking out all your vendors in one place on one day at this Expo on Sunday, Oct. 30 at the Verve Hotel in Natick on Rte. 9 east.

It is $5 per adult. Kids are free. If you register online in advance or bring in an ad promoting the show then you and a guest get in free.

wedding & bar mitzvah ad

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Natick Business Buzz: Food Bank honors MathWorks; PacDNA chosen for MassBio accelerator; Select Board pot talk

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The latest Natick, Mass., business news:

MassWorks recognized by Greater Boston Food Bank

The Greater Boston Food Bank has awarded MathWorks of Natick with its Founder’s Award for contributions to the Growing Healthy Futures campaign that supports summer hunger-relief efforts. The mathematical computing software maker’s generosity has resulted in millions of meals for families in need.

MathWorks matched up to $1 million in donations in 2021 and 2022 in support of the campaign. This was crucial during the pandemic, according to Food Bank CEO Catherine D’Amato.

MathWorks_GBFB_Founders_Award (1)

PacDNA chosen for MassBio’s Fall accelerator program

Natick’s PacDNA, whose “oligonucleotide therapeutics” technology is designed to help treat diseases such as cancer in hard to reach organs and tissues, is 1 of just 6 companies chosen to take part in the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council’s Fall accelerator program. The company’s technology aims to make treatment more effective and affordable.

The company is led by CEO Ke Zhang, a Northeastern University professor, and Northwestern University professor Chad Mirkin.

A networking event will be held on Oct. 26 at the MassBioHub in Cambridge that will include a chance to meet the startups. The participating companies during an 8-week program involving MassBio’s life sciences network will bolster their business plans and get introduced to potential partners, among other things.

A community networking event will be held on October 26 at the MassBioHub in Cambridge that will feature an opportunity to meet the startups participating in MassBioDrive‘s fall cohort and connect with MassBio’s innovation ecosystem. Refreshments will be served. 

Natick Select Board to continue cannabis delivery discussion

The Natick Select Board at its meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 28 is slated to provide an update on the topic of cannabis host community agreements as they relate to state legislative changes.

Select Board Member Michael Hickey raised the issue at a recent meeting at which Natick hit pause on negotiations with a couple of cannabis delivery outfits (See our Sept. 6 Business Buzz for more background).

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Natick Business Buzz: Top Fitness grand re-opening; Don’t zone out over Article 24; Craftacular beer tasting event

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The latest Natick, Mass., business news:

Top Fitness grand re-opening

Top Fitness, which sells all sorts of exercise equipment from treadmills to rowers to weight gear, will celebrate its opening at 1400 Worcester St., at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 3-4pm.

Grand opening deals will be offered over the weekend.

This space is in the Rte. 9 strip that was formerly home to Papa Wheelies, which moved to Wellesley last year.

top fitness logo

Don’t zone out over Article 24

Article 24 on the warrant for Natick Fall Town Meeting has to do with rezoning the strip along Rte. 135 east (East Central Street/Union Street intersection) to make for a more gradual transition from downtown Natick to more residential areas. The area spans from Grant Street to 99 East Central St. (small building in front of the

article 24

So we’re talking about some lots that in limbo such as where various banks have stood at the corner next to Morse Tavern, and then the Neighborhood Wrench spot across the intersection.

The Article is making its rounds these days through various Natick boards, including the Select Board (about 21 minutes into the Sept. 21 meeting and set for more discussion on Sept. 28). The Planning Board discussed it at the 1-hour, 46-minute mark of its Sept. 22 meeting and plans to continue hashing it out Oct. 6. The Finance Committee has Article 24 on its Sept. 27 agenda.

Director of Community & Economic Development Amanda Loomis told the Select Board that “What we’re looking to do is really create a transition zone from a commercial corridor into the neighborhood areas, but also increase walkability and the experience that a pedestrian would be using from either the St. Pat’s project, the senior center, the armory, etc….” Loomis said. This would provide for less density than is allowed downtown, but provide more opportunity for development than in regular residential zones.

Impatient drivers are going to miss cutting through that Neighborhood Wrench parking lot if this happens, but oh well…

neighborhood wrench

 

Craftacular beer tasting at Skybokx 109 Sports Bar & Grill

Skybokx 109 has its big craft beer tasting event slated for Oct. 13 from 5:30-8pm. Advance tickets are $35 ($40 day of) and group tickets are available.

Skybokx 109

 

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Natick Business Buzz: A visit to the Muffin House; Royal Smoke Shop wafts onto Rte. 9; New program for nurse practitioner faculty

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The latest Natick, Mass., business news:

A visit to the Muffin House

Somehow we’d never made it over the Muffin House Café(325 N. Main St.) until this week, when in our quest to go everywhere in Natick we braved the never-ending construction mess on Rte. 27.

We got there during the 8am rush, along with high school students and others who, like us, lined up inside the small cafe, or waited patiently just outside. You can order online to avoid peak hour crushes. Although there are a couple of stools at a counter area, the tight quarters make the Muffin House mainly a take-out shop. The counter area when we were there was in use as a pick-up area for pre-ordered cakes and other baked goods. A couple of tables and chairs are set up for outdoor dining.

The Muffin House is a small place with a big menu. The astonishing variety of drinks includes over 15 coffee flavors available, and all flavors are roasted in the bean so that each drink comes to the customer with a rich flavor profile. They’ve got four varieties of frozen coffee (mint chip, extreme toffee coffee, coconut cream, and chocolate decadence); nitro coffee; lattes; cappuccinos; espresso shots; teas; cider; hot chocolate; strawberry banana, wildberry,  or tropical smoothies; and more.

But they’re not called the Muffin House for nothing. On any given day about a dozen varieties of freshly baked muffins are in rotation from their roster of almost 20 recipes. We went with a pina colada muffin, as moist and tropical as a beach day on an island paradise. The vanilla raspberry offered a subtler taste, also good. Both muffins had a nice crumb to them, and a muffin top that gave a slight crunch at the edges. We washed the muffins down with a flavorful mango smoothie and were good for the morning.

Our sole disappointment was the news that they were out of rustic grain bread, so we chose to have our avocado toast on white. Not as satisfying, but the everyday bagel seasoning on top gave the toast plenty of flavor, and the avocado portion was generous.

There are five Muffin House Café locations, including Hopkinton and Medway.

 

natick muffin house

natick muffin house

Royal Smoke Shop wafts onto Rte. 9

Royal Smoke Shop has left Natick Mall and replaced a mattress and futon shop at 136 Worcester St. (Rte. 9 east).

The adult-only shop, where you can buy hookahs and such, is seeking a variance from the Natick Board of Health on Sept. 20 to add lottery tickets to its mix.

royal smoke natick

 

New program for nurse practitioner faculty

Natick nonprofit Nurse Practitioner Associates for Continuing Education (NPACE) has teamed with the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties to create a development program for new or early career nurse practitioner faculty.

This 28-credit on-demand continuing education program aims to help new faculty understand the nuances of adult education and the specific education needs of nurse practitioner students. The program is broken into five self-paced modules:
 Foundations and Theoretical Frameworks of Education
 Curriculum Design and Development
 Student Assessment and Test Construction
 Clinical Education and Evaluation
 Technology and Learning Best Practices

Discounts are available on the program.

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Natick Business Buzz: 1 South Main St. working group to meet; Outdoor Store to get spotlight; Big/Little Holiday Parties

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The latest Natick, Mass., business news:

1 South Main St. working group to meet

The developer of The Block at 1 South Main St. decided after getting approval in February for his plan at the site of the 2019 fire that he wants to change things up. Among other things, he wants an additional story on the building.

Natick’s Planning board is game to entertain that, and a working group has been formed to hash things out. It will meet for the first time on Sept. 12 from 11am-12pm, and you can catch the action via Zoom if you happen to be free then.

The project is envisioned to include a bunch of small spaces for artists and shops, including food services.

While there had been talk from the developer’s team earlier this year of ground being broken by this past spring, it looks like we’re stuck with the chain link fence for a bit longer.

the block

 

Natick Outdoor Store to get spotlight

The Natick Historical Society’s free online Meet Our Neighbors series will feature Greg Stabile from Natick Outdoor Store on Wednesday, Nov. 16 from 7-8pm.

natick outdoor store

Big/Little Holiday Parties at the Verve

Hilton’s Verve Hotel on Rte. 9 east is introducing a twist on year-end celebrations with its Big/Little Holiday Parties. Organizations or departments within organizations can buy into one larger event. The menu and entertainment will be chosen by the hotel. If interested, call the hotel at (508) 653-8800 and ask for the sales department.

Gingerbread cookie and wine pairing (for adults), breakfast with Santa, and a Hanukkah party are also on tap.

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