Failing/failed business in the Davis Sq area.

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

I've seen a few scattered posts about this topic. I thought it might be useful to have a consolidation thread about failed business in the area. It gives an idea of how well the neighborhood is doing, financially. If you know of businesses that have gone down, please post the information/links here.

Comments

[ron_newman]

Boloco, O'Naturals, La Contessa, La Spina (was behind the Rosebud diner). I can't think of many others. Cibeline is not failing; it's successful enough that it's moving to Beacon Hill.

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

400 Highland, Sauce, Alex Pizza, Antonia's.

[ethanfield.livejournal.com]

Does La Contessa count as 'failed'? I thought the folks just retired. Or treated the rent bump as an excuse to retire.

Also, what was that Tapas place on Highland across from Central Bank? And the place that was in that same space before that?

And: What was in the "Cupcakes" block? I'm embarrassed I can't remember offhand.

[ellf.livejournal.com]

Mcintyre and Moore? "Failed" in that they couldn't sustain their rent in the area.

Someday Cafe.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

Someday Cafe.

Hoo boy, gimme the can opener, we don't need to see THAT can of worms get opened again.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

I know on Teele Rainbow Carpet and some cell phone shop have both departed, and a local insurance agency is moving.

[ron_newman]

The closing of a cell phone shop can only be good news for that (or any other) neighborhood.

[hahathor.livejournal.com]

How long a period are you talking about?

[haptotrope.livejournal.com]

Oh, Yee's China Village... how I miss thy crab rangroons and Polynesian liquor license.

[mderidder.livejournal.com]

I think the other question is what has failed and what storefronts are still empty.

A lot of the things that have been mentioned have been failed, but new businesses fill in the void pretty quickly.

This is less true in Ball Square, for example.

[ron_newman]

Currently empty: La Spina (unless Rosebud has expanded into it?), Antonia's.

Soon to be empty: Cibeline

Soon to be NOT empty: Dollar Days (Blue Shirt is expanding into it)

That's it, as far as I know.

[silveraeroguy.livejournal.com]

Disc Diggers

2 chains:
West Coast Video
Buck-a-Book (don't know if they still have stores but,
they closed all locations in MA)

[ron_newman]

The whole Buck-a-Book chain went under. As did the West Coast Video chain; the local store survived the demise of its parent chain by a few years, keeping the old name.

[hahathor.livejournal.com]

Jimmy Tingle's. So sad - and still empty as far as I know.

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

I'm sad about that too.

Dolly's

[nyyvonne.livejournal.com]

I still weep for it.
I know it was a long time ago, but a 24 hour diner would be great.
I don't think it really failed, but it's gone.

Re: Dolly's

[tamalinn.livejournal.com]

Oh, a decade later, and I still miss it, too.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_saint_cecilia_/]

Denise's?

[ron_newman]

It didn't fail. The owner moved to Columbus, Ohio, where she reopened it. She sold this location to JP Licks.

[ron_newman]

Somerset Savings Bank. In the early 90s, they came very close to failure, then got scooped up by US Trust. A few years later, Citizens bought US Trust.

[firepail.livejournal.com]

But yet the Somerset Savings Bank supported Little League Team trophies are still on display...

[wallacestreet.livejournal.com]

Well, the Aquarium didn't exactly fail, but it was a massive fail nonetheless. Also the Indian convenience store where the Diva Lounge is now as well as the Bangladeshi one where the H&R Block is.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Up in Ball/Powderhouse:

CVS (moved inconveniently to Magoun Square)
The Truffle Shop
The convenience store on the Powderhouse corner
Urban Gourmet (not failed, burned down, hopefully returning soon)
Old deli/convenience store near Soundbites
Hole-in-the-wall beauty shop on B'way

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Urban Gourmet is now the City Slicker Cafe on Somerville Ave. They deliver, too, so go order. :)

[hrafn.livejournal.com]

Benjapon's, which took the space that used to be Fusion. I think they maybe lasted a year? before they disappeared and Joey's Thai Cafe moved in.

[masswich.livejournal.com]

Zembla's Books (was around the Dave's Fresh Pasta area in the early 1990's)

The Bullpen (I think this was the bar where Orleans is now, prior to the Aquarium, although it might have been up where PJ Ryans is now.)

The natural food store/salad bar place that was replaced by Anna's, I think

The OLD McDonalds

No one has listed Steve's Ice Cream yet? I must have missed it.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

Zembla Books didn't "fail"--the owners moved. Steve's Ice Cream didn't "fail" either.

Businesses close, and it's not always failing.

The Bullpen was indeed where Orleans is now.

[pearlythebunny.livejournal.com]

There used to be an Indian spice store/take-out lunch place that became a scent store (I forget the name), and now it's Martsa's.

[hrafn.livejournal.com]

What about the restaurant that used to be where Martsa's now is? Savanna or something like that? Fail, or just moved elsewhere?

[ron_newman]

Savannah Grill. I loved their pancakes! The former owner now runs Alfresco.

[pekmez.livejournal.com]

The corner store at Powderhouse went out of business recently, though the for rent signs have come down in the past few weeks, so maybe that will be something else.

The uniform store in Ball Square closed up shop in the past 6 months.

there's another space for rent in that block of stores, that was I think a small real estate agency?

and if we've got a way way back time frame, I always wonder about the run-down catering/event hall just down Broadway from those - the one with some broken glass and some very old posterboards of people in tuxedoes and the dilapidated neon sign. In any case, it's empty commercial space... (I fantasize about that becoming a restaurant I really want to eat at!)

[ron_newman]

I just re-read this comment thread and found your question here. The place you're talking about is called 'Cabot Farms' or 'The Garden Room', and you can read more about it here.

[pekmez.livejournal.com]

has nobody mentioned Dolly's late night?

ok, no indicator of the state of the economy in Davis Square, really, I think that place closed in 1995, but while we're lamenting long gone things in Davis Square...