The latest Natick, Mass., business news:

Natick mainstay Fair & Yeager exits prime downtown space for Needham

Sure, Fair & Yeager is an insurance agency, not a flashy business. But for a multigenerational family operation whose long history has been so intertwined with Natick and whose location on Main Street is so prominent, the agency’s departure for Needham in recent weeks has seemed far too quiet.

Customers have begun receiving letters in the mail from Fair & Yeager leader Arthur Fair announcing the firm’s departure from its Natick base and reassuring with the usual benefits touted by firms involved in mergers. In its case, Fair & Yeager has melded with the oh-so-generic-sounding Provider Group. In the murky world of insurance, Fair & Yeager is also listed as a Cross Insurance subsidiary.

Other than that letter, there’s just a simple sign on the door at 10 Main St., letting customers know their account managers haven’t changed and that they’ll need to go 7 miles away to visit the new office. You’d never know a thing had changed inside 10 Main St., based on the fresh, festive holiday greens accentuating the white-and-brick office building exterior, nor by looking at the agency’s website or social media as of this posting.

That simple sign on the door pales, of course, below the distinctive gold-embossed lettering of “Fair & Yeager Insurance” that conveys the sort of class and tradition that gives downtown Natick its feel. The agency has been in that building since 1968 and has roots going all the way back to 1898.

A rich local history

A timeline on the Fair & Yeager website tells of a company that began near the end of the 19th century as F.E. Yeager. The Fair & Yeager partnership was established in the 1940s, with the Fairs getting their start at the original firm in 1914 in the person of Natick High senior Arthur Fair.

The agency, which resided at 32 Main St. before moving to 10 Main St., grew via acquisitions over the years. Fair after Fair family member joined the business and contributed to its growth.

Fair & Yeager celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1998. It was honored at Family Day on Natick Common and at the July 4th parade. The agency issued $500 grants to each school in Natick, according to its timeline.

The firm has been known as a strong community supporter throughout its run, with Arthur Fair III leading the way in recent years through his role with Natick Center Associates and the Natick Center Cultural District, which will now carry on without Fair & Yeager in the middle of it.

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Maine Girl Cupcakes coming to town

The Marlborough-based business, which offers more than 100 flavors, says its cupcakes are made from scratch and baked to order. Concoctions include Pretty Pistachio, Two Lights Tiramisu, and Monkey Doodle.

A dozen cupcakes through the home-based business go for $36, though we’ll have to see what the pricing is at the storefront, located at 13 South Main St. between Sweetwaters and the Bagel Table.

 

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Agostino’s for lunch

This isn’t so much news, as just a quick recap of our recent visit to Agostino’s Italian Restaurant in Natick Center for lunch on a Thursday afternoon, pre-holidays.

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Before entering the restaurant, which neighbors the hole-in-the-ground that will soon become a residential and retail development dubbed The Flats which took note of a festive display out front as well as a “Help Wanted” sign on the door. Indeed, our server was busy, even with a moderate number of customers (the bar area was more crowded than the main restaurant section).

We introduced the restaurant to our friend Alice, who runs the Lincoln Squirrel, an independent local news site like ours in Lincoln, Mass. She was surprised at the generous size of the $8 bruchetta ordered as an appetizer, and we wound up taking a good chunk of it home.

We all enjoyed our meals. I went with the seafood cannelloni, which translates into rolls of pasta stuffed with scallops, shrimp, lobster and ricotta. A sweet dish, kind of wanted more, but it was rich, so probably best off with the portion served.

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Shopper’s Find closing

Shopper’s Find, the hodgepodge store that temporarily replaced Lord & Taylor at the Mall before that space presumably goes the bio lab route, has announced it is closing all 3 of its locations.

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