Ben and Jerry’s reopened its Harvard Square location on Dec. 21 following a nearly two-year-long hiatus.
The shop — once located inside The Garage shopping mall on John F. Kennedy St. — closed in 2020 at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Its new location sits across the street at 35 JFK St., formerly David’s Tea.
Brattle Square Florist will remain open under the ownership of longtime store manager Stephen Zedros, a member of the Gomatos family who founded the shop, its current owner announced just days away from the shop’s scheduled Jan. 31 closure.
The shop, which has operated in Harvard Square for 105 years, will continue operations at its current location until March before moving down the block to 52 Brattle St. Current owner Randy Ricker announced in December that he planned to retire and close the store, citing staff shortages, rising costs, and the continuing pandemic.
“Returning Brattle Square Florist to my family is a dream come true.”
Brattle Square Florist will no longer be closing its doors at the end of the month.
In a statement on Thursday, the business announced it will stay open, with ownership returning to the shop’s founding family.
Cambridge, MA– Last month’s announcement that Brattle Square Florist would be closing on January 31 led to an outpouring of support from its customers and the community.
Moved by that outpouring, Stephen Zedros—the longtime manager at Brattle Square Florist—put plans in place to take over the business and maintain operations without interruption starting February 1.
CAMBRIDGE, MA — Last month, word got out that Brattle Square Florist would be closing on Jan. 31, but after an enormous amount of support from customers and the community, the over 100-year-old flower shop will remain open.
Longtime manager Stephen Zedros put plans in action to take over the business and maintain operations without interruption starting Feb. 1.
The store will remain in its same iconic spot in Harvard Square, continuing to operate at 31 Brattle Street into March until it will relocate steps away to 52 Brattle Street.
“Brattle Square Florist has been operating in Harvard Square for over 100 years and I’m planning to lay the foundation for the next 100 years.”
Could ONCE Somerville soon be ONCE Cambridge?
The independent live music promoter and venue space announced today (January 27) that it has submitted an application to rent the former OBERON location just outside Harvard Square. That spot, at 2 Arrow St. in Cambridge, was left vacant after the American Repertory Theater opted last fall to not renew its lease for 2022. OBERON, a longtime performance theater and alternative nightlife haven, had operated in Cambridge for 12 years, but was not part of the A.R.T.’s future plans as it eventually relocates to new digs in Allston.
“New home news: ONCE has submitted an application to rent the Oberon space!” ONCE posted to social media this afternoon. “Light a candle. Spread the word. Come on, Army. Let’s save some venues!”
When Brattle Square Florist announced its impending closure in late December, it felt like a moment of mourning for loyal customers of the 105-year-old Harvard Square institution.
Many were in disbelief that the shop would disappear on Jan. 31. Some began paying visits to browse the blooms while they still could. “I could wallpaper a room with the notes and letters and cards we received,” said longtime manager Stephen Zedros.
But it turns out that reports of Brattle Square Florist’s demise were premature, or at least, not the last word: The business is going to keep its doors open at a new address.
Not only will Brattle Square Florist remain open after a December scare, it will return to the founding family who ran the business for nearly 100 years.
Randy Ricker said Dec. 27 that the pandemic, economic conditions and physical drain of running the 31 Brattle St. store forced him to close Jan. 31 after nine years as owner. There was an outpouring of sadness and support from customers and the community – so much so that Stephen Zedros – longtime manager at the shop and grandchild of the founders – put plans in place to take over the business and maintain operations without interruption starting Feb. 1.
The Scorpion Bowl is dead. Long live the Scorpion Bowl.
In 1950, husband and wife Chun Sau Chin and Tow See Chin started a small restaurant of 40 to 50 seats called the Mandarin House. The couple, who had moved to Massachusetts from China, offered dishes that would appeal to American diners: fried rice, chow mein, egg foo yong. Their daughter and her husband, Madeline and William Wong, took over the business in 1958 and began to expand, buying adjacent land and building additions. Along the way, they had six children; in her spare time, Madeline worked as an insurance agent for John Hancock, setting sales records as one of the rare Asian American women on staff. Eventually, the restaurant would come to have 1,200 seats, themed areas like the Tiki Lagoon Room and the Luau Room, a comedy club, and a different name. The Kowloon still stands on Route 1 in Saugus more than 70 years after it opened, a landmark of glorious isosceles architecture, the tiki god above the entrance glowing in the neon light.
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