Natick small businesses score nearly $800K in state grants

January 6, 2021 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The Commonwealth has announced a new $67.4 million round of COVID-19 Small Business Grants, and 16 Natick businesses are among the mainly minority- and women-owned recipients. Among them are Oga’s Japanese Cuisine, management consulting firm ESS Analysis, and marketing and data analytics firm WebReply. Health care, professional service, and construction firms were also among recipients.

Oga's — Oga’s scored a $75K grant from the state

These awards follow an initial round of $49 million in grants, also for businesses hit by the pandemic, that included 11 Natick outfits.

The awards this time around go to 1,366 businesses, and for Natick companies, the grants range from $10,000 to $75,000 for a total of $785,000.

The grants are administered via the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation, which is also now accepting applications for a new Sector-Specific Small Business Relief Grant Program that will give preference to industries such as bars and restaurants, gyms, personal services, and more. The grants are to be used for payroll, rent, and other expenses.

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Lookout Farm’s new Greenhouse restaurant in Natick: First taste

December 22, 2020 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Lookout Farm in Natick has opened The Greenhouse, its new covered but open-air dining venue, and we were there on opening weekend to check out the generously sized space and the farm’s new menu. What we found was an enormous area that easily absorbed 37 generously spaced picnic tables, dozens of heat lamps, plenty of Christmas trees decked out in pretty white lights, and a festive-minded crowd out for a good time.

Lookout Farm, Natick — Lookout Farm in The Greenhouse

Beer and hard cider are on tap, of course, and the menu is devised to harmonize with Lookout’s farm-crafted IPAs, ales, and more. The Winter Wonder, a gingerbread hard cider, has proven to be a popular seasonal specialty, but we stuck to our favorite standby—an unfiltered golden ale with Belgian yeast and white wheat.

For dinner, the rock shrimp toast on roasted garlic bread packed a slight kick with its “dynamite sauce.” The small plate order was generously sized enough for dinner. I added the baby kale salad with Caesar vinaigrette, garlic bread croutons, and parmesan to my order to round out the meal. The kale was beautifully fresh, and the perky vinaigrette was served on the side, so no worries about too generous a hand in the kitchen with the dressing. The parmesan lacked flavor, but the garlic bread croutons made up for that.

The macaroni and cheese made with Vermont cheddar and fried onion bread crumbs was a big hit with our party. The generous portion and the creaminess of the cheese made this a welcome serving of wintertime comfort food. Chicken schnitzel with mashed potatoes was also eagerly devoured. However, the side of pickled red cabbage went untouched by the diner. Oh well, fermented brassicas aren’t for everyone.

With the greenhouse’s high ceiling, and the distance between diners, the experience felt safe, much like the 180-acre farm’s all-outdoor summer dining in the fields. And maybe it was the second golden ale talking, but I was feeling a kinship with our brethren in Montreal, or maybe Quebec. I, too, can be the kind of person who doesn’t let little things like snow and the cold drive her into a state of months-long hibernation.

The experience felt maybe a little Canadian, with a dash of German beer hall spirit thrown in, along with a little bit of European sophistication. Lookout has pivoted yet again to endure times that try the souls of the hardiest New England farmers/restauranteurs. Let’s hope area diners don’t leave them out in the cold.

To know before you go:

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Natick Business Buzz: Lookout Farm Greenhouse opens Friday; Lord & Taylor gets brief reprieve at mall; One South Main Street drags on

December 16, 2020 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Our roundup of the latest Natick, Mass., business news:

Lookout Farm Greenhouse opens Friday

Lookout Farm on Friday plans to open The Greenhouse, its new covered but open air dining venue.

The Greenhouse has 37 generously spaced picnic tables and a new menu featuring everything from beer cheese soup to jumbo shrimp & grits to slow roasted beef stroganoff (full menu below). The outdoorish-indoorish venue is located in one of the farm’s greenhouses, directly across from the former Taproom.

Lookout Farm cider will of course be served at The Greenhouse (photo courtesy of Lookout Farm)

Lookout Farm has added QR code ordering to support COVID-19 safety measures like what it had with its outdoor Lookout venue over the summer and fall.

Some fire pit seating will also be available, but probably not until next week after storm cleanup.

Sounds like a cozy new winter spot.

Download (PDF, 1.91MB)

Lord & Taylor gets a reprieve at mall

Le Tote, parent company of Lord & Taylor, has informed the town that it Lord & Taylor store at Natick Mall has been given a slightly longer lease on life. Le Tote and Lord & Taylor filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in August.

Le Tote still plans to shutter the store, one of several anchor stores departing the mall. But rather than axing employees during the first half of December and closing the store this month, Le Tote has said “business conditions, including favorable inventory levels not envisioned at the time of the original notice” in October have allowed it to stay the store’s demise until mid-to-late February.

One South Main Street drags on

The project, on the site of the July 2019 fire that devastated businesses on South Main Street in Natick Center, previously consisted of “the construction of a new 15,055 sq. ft. two-story structure with retail use on the first floor and seven residential units on the second floor as well as other site improvements.” Now it “consists of the construction of a one floor 5,342 sq. ft. retail structure, as well as other site improvements,” according to the Planning Board’s description.

The developer was to have discussed the latest at the Dec. 16 Planning Board meeting but an attorney for the developer requested a continuance again, this time until January. There was some discussion of possibly creating a working group to help smooth the process, but no determination was made.

Sorting out insurance questions was a factor in a previous continuance.

Got business news to share? Email us the details: natickreport@gmail.com

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Help Natick restaurants & Service Council in one fell swoop

December 12, 2020 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The Natick Center Cultural District is running a promotion this month to bolster both local restaurants and Natick Service Council, which helps neighbors experiencing hardship or economic uncertainty.

Gift cards purchased to be donated to the Natick Service Council will be matched up to $2,000. Purchase a gift certificate from a local restaurant and drop it off at the Natick Center Cultural District office (via the mail slot if you wish) at 8 Court St. by Dec. 22.

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Hot Doogy bringing Brazilian style to Natick

December 10, 2020 by Bob Brown 1 Comment

Natick will soon have a new dining option in Hot Doogy, which boasts that “If you’ve had never had a Brazilian-style hot dog, your life is about to be changed!”

The new eatery plans to open in January or February in Sherwood Plaza on Rte. 9 east on the strip that contains the Christmas Tree Shop and in a space formerly occupied by Zoup, a soup restaurant. The address is technically 1300D Worcester St.

Hot Doogy already has been doing a brisk delivery business on the south shore based out of a commercial “cloud” kitchen. It will be bringing something different to Natick, which of course is no slouch on the hot dog front with the likes of Casey’s Diner serving up its popular menu.

Hot Doogy is the brainchild of husband and wife Thiago and Fernanda Andrade, who started the business about a year ago. They’ve also looped in Thiago’s mother, Izabel.

The Andrades got their start with Fernanda making hotdogs for their church.

“Everyone loved it so much and we decided to start this business,” says Thiago, who had a hotdog cart as a teenager in Brazil. “It all just became a natural thing to do.”

Natick was a natural spot to locate a storefront kitchen in that the Andrades have been congregating at a Baptist church in Framingham and have lots of friends in the area. “We found this opportunity and didn’t even think twice,” Thiago says.

Hot Doogy’s menu from over the summer included hot dogs—beef and other varieties—priced from about $6 to $9 depending on how much stuff you want on them. Toppings include everything from queijo (cheese) to ketchup to molho (sauce). You can order pre-set hotdogs or build your own with toppings.

From the looks of these gourmet hot dogs, you’re going to need a few napkins. Or an apron.

“We believe that even though this is a pandemic time we can still provide quality and innovative food to bring a little bit of happiness to our customers,” Thiago says.

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(Hat tip: Chew on This)

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