Restaurant News for the Week Ending June 7, 2026

Below are some of the biggest restaurant and food-related news stories that have been posted between June 1, 2026, and June 7, 2026.

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Great Marsh Brewing Company in Essex Is Going Up for Auction
It looks like a brewery on the North Shore is ceasing operations.
Full Story

Rag's Tavern in Quincy Has Been Sold; Exact Status Unknown
The future of a neighborhood drinking spot south of Boston known in part for its bar pizza appears to be in question.
Full Story

Clover Is Returning; Boston and Cambridge Locations to Reopen This Week
A local restaurant chain featuring vegetarian fare will not be ceasing operations after all.
Full Story

Tipsy Scoop to Open in the South End
A group of boozy ice cream shops with roots in New York City will soon be on its way to Boston.
Full Story

Kostas Pizza & Seafood in Needham Has Closed
A longtime eatery in the western suburbs of Boston that featured pizza along with Greek and Italian fare has shut down.
Full Story

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

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Great Marsh Brewing Company in Essex Is Going Up for Auction

It looks like a brewery on the North Shore is ceasing operations.

According to a source, Great Marsh Brewing Company in Essex is going out of business, with a Boston Business Journal article saying that an auction is slated for June 10 from Aaron Posnik & Co. and will include all of its furnishings and equipment. Great Marsh first opened its facility in Essex in 2019, moving into the space where Fortune Palace II had once been and being a brewery, taproom, restaurant, and bar along with a beer garden.

The address for the site of Great Marsh Brewing Company is 99 Main Street, Essex, MA, 01929.

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

Read more »

Rag's Tavern in Quincy Has Been Sold; Exact Status Unknown

The future of a neighborhood drinking spot south of Boston known in part for its bar pizza appears to be in question.

According to a source, Rag's Tavern in Quincy has been sold, with a Facebook post from the Washington Street bar saying, "End of an era!...Friday, June 12...Our last day at Rags as we know it!" A comment from the business within the thread indeed says that "Rags has been sold!!" though it isn't yet known who has purchased it and what will become of the space, so stay tuned for any updates as they come in.

Rag's Tavern, which first opened in 2004, has served South Shore-style bar pizza over the years along with burgers and other sandwich options.

The address for Rag's Tavern is 375 Washington Street, Quincy, MA, 02169.

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

Read more »

Shinjuku Station to Open in Allston

A growing group of revolving sushi bars will be expanding into the local area, with a location coming to a Boston neighborhood.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Shinjuku Station is planning to open in Allston, moving into the space on Brighton Avenue that had been home to a location of YAS Chicken. The website for the business mentions that its restaurants feature a revolving sushi belt and app-based ordering system, with "bold, playful visuals and tech-driven dining designed to make each visit feel fresh, exciting, and new."

Shinjuku Station has a handful of locations mostly on the East Coast with more on the way, though at this point in time, this appears to be the only outlet coming to the Greater Boston area.

The address for the upcoming Shinjuku Station in Allston is 128 Brighton Avenue, Allston, MA, 02134. The website for all locations is at https://ift.tt/GQNdC8F

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

Read more »

Clover Is Returning; Boston and Cambridge Locations to Reopen Next Week

Last week, it was announced that a local restaurant chain featuring vegetarian fare was ceasing operations. Now we have learned that this will not be the case after all.

According to an email from the business, Clover is going to be reopening only a few days after shutting down late last week. The email says the following:

...we're now able to announce some shocking news... CLOVER WILL CONTINUE. We didn't plan this. We couldn't have. And we're still figuring it out—but it's true! We will not continue as a shell of ourselves, or someone else's concept grafted onto our leases. We will continue as the experience that we have all built together—the concept that moved so many to raise their voices last week. We will continue to change with the seasons, support local farmers, create local jobs, and foster community.

The email does mention that "This won't be without some big changes," saying that they will be closed for the rest of the week as they need to regroup. Starting on Tuesday, June 9, they will reopen their Boston and Cambridge locations for lunch and "onward" and breakfast service will return the following day.

More updates on the return of Clover will be coming, so stay tuned for updates.

[Earlier Article]
Clover to Cease Operations

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

Read more »

Baba Shawarma May Be Opening in the Former Haymarket Pizza Space in Boston

A Middle Eastern dining spot may be coming to downtown Boston, and it would apparently be taking over the space where a decades-old pizzeria had once been.

According to a licensing board hearing page within the city's website, Baba Shawarma is looking to open on Blackstone Street, with the address indicating that it would be moving into the former Haymarket Pizza space. The notice hints that the proposed place may be focusing on takeout, as no seating capacity has been given, while the description says that it would have 870 square feet of space with one room, a kitchen in the back, and storage in the basement.

Haymarket Pizza closed in 2021 after being in business since the 1960s.

The address for the proposed Baba Shawarma is 106 Blackstone Street, Boston, MA 02109.

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

Read more »

First Watch Plans to Open in Dedham and Swampscott

A Florida-based chain of breakfast and lunch spots is further expanding into the local area, with two new ones planned for the suburbs of Boston.

According to a source, First Watch is looking to open in Dedham, with an earlier Patch article confirming this while also saying that another location is on its way to Swampscott as well. Our source tells us that the Dedham location will be coming to Dedham Plaza on Providence Highway while the Patch article indicates that the Swampscott outlet will be coming to Vinnin Square. The news of these two locations planning to open in the region come on the heels of news published here last month of a Woburn location also being in the works, with all three joining existing locations in the Back Bay of Boston and Hanover (another in Attleboro is also on its way).

First Watch was established in Pacific Grove, CA, in 1983, moving its headquarters to Bradenton, FL, three years later. Its website can be found at https://firstwatch.com/

[Earlier Article]
First Watch May Be Opening in the Former On the Border Space in Woburn

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

Read more »