Jamaica Plain News reports business owners along Centre Street remain opposed to the Caffe Nero now being built in an abandoned bank branch next to Blanchards. One local real-estate agent - who also opposed the Whole Foods - said:
A Gap will come. A Starbucks will come. This is a way to plug the dam.
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Quick, before it becomes
By gotdatwmd
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 10:35am
Quick, before it becomes another bank!
We already have so-called
By tenfortyseven
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 10:55am
We already have so-called chain businesses all along Centre St. so I wish these anti-change guys would get off that tired train once and for all. There are three Dunkin Donuts on Centre within about 1.2 miles. Two Tedeschi Markets almost across the street from each other. All of the banks are name brand. What we really do not have is coffee alternatives to City Feed (which I love and where I eat every day), and mediocre JP Licks owned by that weenie Vince. The place on Pond street is really good, but there's little room to hang out. Competition is good for business, and really good for the customer. Blah blah blah.
The Coffee Corridor is really
By Rob Not Verified
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 11:03am
The Coffee Corridor is really over by Amory Street with Blue Frog on Green St, Ula Cafe at the Brewery, and (my personal favorite) Bartlett Square Cafe on corner of Green and Amory.
You do have Fiore's (an awesome place) around the bend on South St. though in terms of the Centre/South district.
I would say that of the chains you mention, they're all convenience type places that are not going to dramatically affect the local business landscape. There's always a fine line between protecting our local businesses from chain domination and being too resistant to change. I don't know that anyone knows where that line is honestly, but it seems like a good mix usually works for all parties involved.
Fiore's rules!
By adamg
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 11:24am
It's the JPiest place that ever JPed a JP. And I mean that in a good way.
Absolutely love Fiore's
By Rob Not Verified
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 12:57pm
Absolutely love Fiore's
Fiore's
By PeyoteEatingWat...
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 1:08pm
Fiore's is so awesome. I don't care what they put on Centre St as long as Fiore's never goes away. Put a Starbuck's and a McDonald's there for all I care. I won't go. You'll find me at Fiore's.
For once we agree on something.
By Sally
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 12:38pm
If people really want to buy coffee and gross doughnuts at DD's it's not my place to stop them. We have plenty of good coffee and bakeries in JP (my dollars go to Ula--peach tarts are the best ever--and Canto 6) but I don't like the arbitrary thumbs-up-or-down attitude the naysayers seem to be taking.
Local realtor John Maxfield
By anon
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 10:51am
Local realtor John Maxfield against a chain coffee place! That's rich. That realtor is FOR appealing to whatever demographic will give him listings and he has decided the Whose Food types are where the bank is at.
Okay then
By SwirlyGrrl
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 10:45am
Will said real estate agent be finding people to lease said properties for non-franchise businesses? Taking over said spaces and starting said ventures?
Such folks need to stop seeing change as an invasion, understand that it happens whether they want it to or not, and plan for it in a positive and proactive way. That means lining up people and helping them launch the kinds of ventures they want to see in these spaces, rather than making ridiculous demands and obstructing everything.
It's almost a free country...
By RichM
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 10:47am
They have as much right to operate as you do.
I didn't say that they didn't
By SwirlyGrrl
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 11:10am
My point is that the people who bemoan franchise businesses in their neighborhood can work to find and cultivate proprietors of local businesses to fill these spaces. This has been done all over the continent.
Otherwise, they should just stop trying to block out those who "have a right to operate" as you and I agree that chain places do.
Too much "obstruct, threaten to sue, and demand trinkets", not enough forward thinking and community-based development.
You clearly didn't read what
By zetag
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 4:58pm
You clearly didn't read what was written there, did you Rich?
Agreed--this is one of the
By cfp
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 1:31pm
Agreed--this is one of the reasons why down the street from here, 2 out of 3 of the retail units at newly-built 225 Centre are sitting vacant now for over a year. The groups who built the space decided that this is JP, which means that no chains are allowed to occupy their buildings. So their sole current tenant is NACA. This is a complete fail on the developers part, as far as I'm concerned as their stated goal was to make that part of Centre Street more pedestrian friendly and attract street traffic through storefronts and new businesses. They have restricted themselves out of tenants by not leasing to franchises.
Where the hell
By anon
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 10:41am
would a GAP open up in JP? Not to mention JP's demographic would be better suited for cat T-s and puck colored skinny jeans from Urban Outfitters.
GAP in Brookline on Harvard
By anonamonster
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 11:04am
Not entirely out of realm of possibility.
Centre Street is not Coolidge Corner.
By Sally
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 12:40pm
Sometimes I wish it were so we could also have a movie theater, a TJ's, and OTTO pizza. But we are what we are, and no, we will not be getting a Gap anytime soon.
Who needs the Gap ...
By adamg
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 5:00pm
When you've got Goodwill and Bomerangs?
Seriously?
By Brain
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 12:30pm
Get over it. Open more stores. It's Ok. Coolidge Corner has survived JUST FINE with a Gap AND a Pier 1 and niche botiques. Embrace 2014.
By "Local real-estate agent"
By anon
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 10:52am
Do you mean out of town yuppie, JPNC member Ken Sazama?
Is your question rhetorical?
By adamg
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 10:55am
Because it's answered in the JP News post (when I link to somebody else's story, I try to give enough info to let you know what's going on without just repeating the entire story, because that would be wrong).
a gap? a starbucks?
By anon
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 11:35am
what decade are these people living in? this isn't 2004.
ha! i had the same thought.
By Bob Murphy
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 12:06pm
ha! i had the same thought. the gap is closing more stores than it's opening these days. the gap reference makes me think of 1994 rather than 2004! i remember when i was a kid, we thought the meadow glen mall was bigtime because it had a gap.
Another coffee shop
By ElizaLeila
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 11:36am
Tell him to walk up to Hyde Sq for Cafe Aromi ... 15 or 20 minutes and a nice walk at that.
I've known one of the
By tenfortyseven
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 5:13pm
I've known one of the partners at Aromi for 29 years and let's just say I don't care for her politics regarding racial minorities, so I would never set foot into that joint, which is too bad, since it's right around the corner from my house. Love the Cuban coffee at El Oriental, tho.
My gawd people!
By anon
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 12:22pm
This has gone far enough! We must draw a line in the sand!
Clutch the pearls.
Don't you mean
By Sally
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 12:41pm
Clutch the hemp and shell bead necklace?
Howie Carr is that you?
By Rob Not Verified
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 1:00pm
Howie Carr is that you? Zzzzzzz
Oh relax, will you?
By Sally
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 2:56pm
I live in JP; I'm pretty much a walking cliche of comfortable-shoe-wearing, farmers-market-going hippie-dom so I can make fun of our necklaces if I want to, 'kay?
Context isn't apparent
By Rob Not Verified
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 3:00pm
Context isn't apparent sometimes online, sorry. Though most of the hemp necklace wearing people I've seen are just confused teenagers and Red Sox pitchers.
True.
By Sally
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 4:51pm
And I exaggerate the hempiness of JP. I just thought the usual pearl-clutching image was really off somehow.
Cafe Nero a chain? Yeah,
By anon
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 12:26pm
Cafe Nero a chain? Yeah, maybe in London but here they only have one location so far in Downtown. By their reasoning Thinking Cup and Boston Common Coffee each with three locations is more of a chain.
Speaking of chains we need in JP
By Stomps
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 12:58pm
Can any of you prospective business starter uppers open up a damn Anna's Taqueria in JP, please? Or a respectable Mexican food joint? That's right, Purple Cactus "Mexican food made by white people" does not cut it.
Roslindale and West Roxbury aren't all that far away ...
By adamg
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 1:04pm
Not a big taco fan, so I might not be the best judge, but Yucatan Taco is real Mexican food made by real Mexicans (as the sign will inform you) and I haven't heard anything bad about that taco place on Centre Street except it can be hard to get parking there and it's pretty much only takeout.
I know, defeats the purpose of having a walkable place like Centre Street in JP, but still (and reminds me of those long-gone days when us poor unfortunates in Roslindale had to drive all the way into JP just for some Indian food).
LOL
By cybah
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 1:33pm
I hate to say this but... I always find the best Latin Restaurants always have Latinos working and eating there. If its all white people, it's garbage. I figure if a Latino won't eat it, then I shouldn't eat it either because its probably gross and not authentic.
then again I live in Chelsea so I can throw a stone off my front stops and probably hit a Latin restaurant.
And yes I stopped calling the Mexican restaurants "Mexican" a long time ago because not all Latin food is Mexican.. I have a delicious El Salvadoran place at the end of my street. Its almost TexMex like, but far better (and more spicy!)
Just an FYI
By anon
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 2:53pm
there are white "Latinos / Hispanics", and there are white Mexicans, Puerto Ricans,etc.
Thanks for sharing!
By cybah
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 4:24pm
Your opinion matters
White typically means Caucasian, not Latino. Even the "white looking" Latinos refer to themselves as "Latino" Not "White"
duh.
Would love an Anna's on Centre
By Googie Baba
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 1:48pm
I say this as a JPer who loves Purple Cactus white people burritos. But Anna's is amazing and I wish we had one. Just their refried beans are heaven. I think we could support 3 Mexicanish places on Centre Street.
Love Los Amigos in W. Rox
By Anon
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 1:15pm
It is sooooo much better than Purple Cactus and they have mexican Coke!
Yes, parking in that stretch of Centre St. can be tough, but for those without cars it is also conveniently serviced by the 35, 36 and 37 busses.
Los Amigos is solid. But
By Rob Not Verified
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 3:01pm
Los Amigos is solid. But nothing surpasses Yucatan in that area, imho.
What's wrong with Acapulco?
By Matthew
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 1:58pm
Or you can wander up Centre Street some more towards Jackson Square. There's a bunch of Cuban restaurants (maybe that's not what you want) but there's a few that should have some decent Central American fare.
Much, much better than Anna's.
Acapulco is atrocious. Ugh.
By JP Regressive
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 4:44pm
Acapulco is atrocious. Ugh.
my head just exploded
By pierce
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 2:01pm
how can you disparage "mexican food made by white people" and praise Anna's in the same breath?
My Issue with Purple Cactus
By Bookerman
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 3:07pm
My issue with Purple Cactus has nothing to do with who is making the food and everything to do with the fact that their food is not good. It is bland and devoid of flavor.
I brought this up to a friend of mine who also lives in JP (I just moved after 7 years there) and he absolutely loves the place. When I complained to him that Purple Cactus was a poor excuse for Mexican food, his response was that their food was not Mexican, but more of a tex-mex 'Merican food. I remain confused by his response and maintain that whatever food genre they fall into, the food is not good in my opinion.
Tex-Mex, my ass. Purple
By 2
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 5:45pm
Tex-Mex, my ass. Purple Cactus is California style "Mexican"/CaliMex,
Sorta-kinda upscale mediocre Tex Mex food
By Cleary Squared
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 6:28pm
When I first started going there, the food was actually pretty good. Now I avoid it because the food quality has gone down, but it seems to be packed every single Saturday afternoon around noon by the SUV stroller/half-awake hipster crowd for mediocre "Mexican" food.
I tried Los Amigos (right down the street from me) once but the kid who was serving wouldn't give me so much as eye contact. Yucatan Tacos is on the list to try one of these days...
AIrport food
By anon
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 7:21pm
Purple Catcus is the same quality as airport food. Aggressively nondescript.
This place exists!
By erik g
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 3:29pm
I spend way more time shilling for Burrito's Pizzeria (over next to Doyle's) than any unpaid person should spend. Because they are awesome. Just, uh, ignore the 80% or so of the menu that advertises pizza, sandwiches, calzones, or anything that isn't recognizable Americanized-Mexican cuisine.
Ew.
By Scratchie
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 3:44pm
Ew.
Is It Pizza Made Like Burritos Or Burritos Made Like Pizza?
By Elmer
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 4:19pm
[sub]Either way, it's making me hungry![/sub]
Sounds like Romano's in Roslindale
By adamg
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 4:27pm
It's a pizza place that sells tacos! Or maybe it's a taqueria that sells pizza! Plus poutine on the weekends. And they still advertise the mysterious "winding dinner."
I was explaining to my kids the other day
By SwirlyGrrl
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 4:11pm
When I was in college and I would get back to Portland in the 1980s, how I would IMMEDIATELY head for a taqueria.
Them: "Didn't you like the ones in Boston"?
Me: "THERE WERE NONE!!!".
So true - there were NONE! I couldn't even find the most minimal ingredients to make a burrito if I wanted to, either - no refritos, no carnitas, no tortillas, no masa to make tortillas ... not even salsa!
Enjoy it all, folks - and be glad that there are enough to argue about!
Swirls , there was a taco
By kvn
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 4:51pm
Swirls , there was a taco joint in Union square Allston back then , and Sol Aztec on Beacon street outside Kenmore Square. Surely you went to the Kenmore Club!
With respect to the fixings, there had to be places in the old JP that sold them, Hyde Square or Egelston station area , for sure .
Sol Azteca
By SwirlyGrrl
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 7:37pm
Completely different Mexican cuisine than a taqueria - that was much more of a sit down place, same sort of food one would find in Mexico City. An excellent tasty break, if a bit pricey, but really not the same thing.
The taco joint in Union Square didn't appear until the 1990s - I know, because my boyfriend lived there in the mid-1980s.
JP had a great variety of latin food, but not Central American or Mexican food. All of that started up in the 1990s. Everything "latin" or "Hispanic" was Puerto Rican back then. I had Mexican office mates in the 2000s who still complained about having to search around for what they needed and we worked at the foot of Mission Hill!
Mission Hill huh, hope you
By kvn
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 8:09pm
Mission Hill huh, hope you stopped into The Basilica And Shrine Of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. But , you were on the wrong side of the hill, ethnically speaking. You had to go to the Hyde Square side, by the Blessed Sacrament. I drank over there, knew the lay of the land.
Indeed I did
By SwirlyGrrl
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 8:34pm
Not as one of the faithful, but because they had been renovating and were welcoming people to come for a tour.
Well , Swirls , seeing as a
By kvn
Sat, 09/20/2014 - 10:41am
Well , Swirls , seeing as a Decade or two wasn't in order for you , I offer this,
http://youtu.be/W4ga_M5Zdn4
We used to have that one
By 2
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 5:43pm
We used to have that one Mexican place on Centre that was close to Stop & Shop, but it's a Cuban place now. I never knew why it wasn't popular because the food was really good.
Tacos El Charro
By BlackKat
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 7:10pm
That place was pretty good in its heyday. And they had live mariachi bands which made it even better.
Actually...
By Toneye
Sat, 09/20/2014 - 5:53am
Anna's Taqueria and Boca Grande are owned by a Japanese brother and sister. Now, if you walk a little further to Mission Hill in Brigham Circle has an 'authentic' Mexican restaurant called Monte Christo Mexican Grill. NOT a 'chain' either.
Maybe a shoe store would be
By kvn
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 2:01pm
Maybe a shoe store would be nice , say a Hanlon's.....
And perhaps
By Kathode
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 5:51pm
a Kennedy's Butter and Eggs. It's all about local sourcing.
Or Herb's TV & Appliance
By bibliotequetress
Sat, 09/20/2014 - 12:09am
Or Herb's TV & Appliance Repair, or some other store with a montage of plastic dinosaurs in the window.
AAA Appliance is still by the
By kvn
Sat, 09/20/2014 - 7:54am
AAA Appliance is still by the Monument. Good competitive prices, usually will match your other best price, as has been my experience.
Yes, but they must have the
By kvn
Sat, 09/20/2014 - 7:52am
Yes, but they must have the chicken rotisserie cooking!
Will they have
By bulgingbuick
Fri, 09/19/2014 - 3:34pm
bike parking and Prius chargers?
Starbucks won't kill your local coffee shops
By Ron Newman
Sat, 09/20/2014 - 12:36am
At least, it didn't in Davis Square. When Starbucks opened up a few months after Diesel did, everyone thought it would hurt Diesel's business, but it didn't. Both places are often full, and now we've also got another independent place, iYO cafe, down the street.
(also, converting a bank branch to a coffee shop can be pretty neat, if they keep the bank vault intact like they did for Bloc 11 in Union Square.)
Cafe Nero is really pretty
By Heather
Sun, 09/21/2014 - 10:02am
Cafe Nero is really pretty good coffee and snacks for a chain. As is Starbucks. Both have milk alternatives and a few healthy snack choices. A million times better than DD!
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