Late-night pastries to become easier to find in lower Allston, at least on weekends

The Boston Licensing Board this morning approved plans by Swissbäkers, 168 Western Ave. in Allston, to stay open until 2 a.m. Thursday through Sunday for takeout and delivery of its pastries, pretzels and sandwiches.

Thomas Stohr's bakery, which has been at its Barry's Corner location for 11 years, formerly closed at 6:30 p.m. It will keep that closing time for its dine-in service seven days a week.

Allston Civic Association President Anthony D'Isidoro said his group enthusiastically supported the later weekend closing time. "There's not a lot in the area," and the longer hours would help support a burgeoning "night-time economy" there.

The reception was a far cry from that received in 2010 by Swissbäkers's predecessor at the Harvard-owned site, Stone Hearth Pizza. The association's president at the time  blasted that as an attempt by Harvard to ease its conscience over destroying Barry's Corner in a neighborhood that needed a Kmart more than another pizza place. In fact, he compared the proposal to the Menendez brothers pleading for mercy because they became orphans when they killed their parents and said the addition of yet another pizza place meant the university was treating the neighborhood like a collection of doddering Homer Simpsons.