Vegan restaurant will replace Teele Square (ex-Soleil) Cafe ?

[ron_newman]

The Somerville Licensing Commission last night approved the application of 'True Bistro, LLC' for a liquor license to open a vegan restaurant at 1153 Broadway. This is the current location of Teele Square Cafe (formerly Soleil Cafe).

Comments

[georgy.livejournal.com]

What??? What's happening to the Teele Square Cafe? Ugh.

[knowthyself.livejournal.com]

This! :(

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

I know! I like that place! They're a little slow, but their breakfast sandwiches (and breakfast burritos!!) are really good.

[freckles42.livejournal.com]

I love that place! While a vegan spot will be nice it's still a bit of a WTF, the cafe is good and yummy.

[pekmez.livejournal.com]

oh no! I love them and have only made it there twice so far - unlike soleil, they have their own house made sausage, sustainable ingredients, backyard eggs from the owner, etc - but they are always packed and seemed to be doing well. I hope they're moving somewhere else and not shutting down - I'll have to try having lunch there this week and ask.

[schpahky.livejournal.com]

I know, this is crazy - they are busy all the time! And they are so nice and attentive!

[georgy.livejournal.com]

I hope they are just moving to a new, bigger location. But I am somehow doubtful :-(

[ron_newman]

And I just called Teele Square Cafe to ask "are you closing or moving", and they said no. So now I'm just totally confused.

[georgy.livejournal.com]

Did they say at the meeting that the location was explicitly that of Teele Square Cafe? Maybe it is something nearby? That H&R block is no longer there.

[ron_newman]

I sure thought they said they were moving into the cafe space, and the address given is the same. But I've now added a question mark to the Subject of this post since I'm no longer sure what is going on.

I would never have spoken in favor if I had known they might be involuntarily pushing out an established business ... now I feel regretful.

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

Maybe it'll be a space-sharing thing? I am also confused.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

My understanding is that they are buying the business from TSC, so it certainly doesn't sound like any "pushing out" is happening. There should be more details once the deal closes.

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

I see. That's too bad; I really like TCS. But hey, maybe the vegan place will be awesome too.

[ron_newman]

But if TCS intended to close or move, wouldn't they have told me so this morning? It sounds like the new restaurateurs applied for the license without talking to the people who are already there. I wish I hadn't abetted this.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Are you sure you spoke to an owner? Maybe they haven't told their employees. Or maybe they don't want to give out info to a stranger on the phone.

It's not all that weird for someone in a business to tell you they're not closing and then the next day it's papered up, after all.

[knowthyself.livejournal.com]

Did you tell TSC why you were asking? I imagine they might be interested in knowing about this!

[ron_newman]

I said something like "I heard that a vegan restaurant was replacing your cafe, is this true?"

[schpahky.livejournal.com]

Not necessarily, especially if you talked to lower level staff - they are often the last to find out.

[real-green-tea.livejournal.com]

Anyone have updates as to when True Bistro is opening? I passed through Teele this evening to see the paper *finally* off the windows of this location...
Been waiting on needles and pins since July for this place to open!

[ron_newman]

Sorry, I do not know much more. I was at the hearing in order to support the Armory, and this item just came up on the agenda before it. I did spontaneously testify in favor of it when the commission called for public comment, because one of the commissioners was questioning whether the concept was sufficiently unique as to fulfill a public need.

[usernamenumber.livejournal.com]

A PDF of the meeting notes is here (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=2&ved=0CAwQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.somervillema.gov%2FCoS_Content%2Fdocuments%2Fagenda%2FAG-04-26-2010.pdf&ei=N_jWS434FMO78gaXoKHQBQ&usg=AFQjCNH8EXyEOnF-uZddqFyGZQqegFkPIA&sig2=SOrLS4oVKA8-3vIxbWgA6w), and the address given does indeed match that of TS Cafe (1153 Broadway). Doesn't say anything about Tru Bistro co being a vegan place (or anything else). Any chance they're just the owners of TSC, and the vegan place was part of a different discussion?

[ron_newman]

They definitely said vegan, and had to explain to some of the Commissioners what that word meant.

[smoterh.livejournal.com]

lulz

if that doesn't indicate that there is a huge disparity between people that live in this this city and the people that work for the city, I don't know what does

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

The commissioners also live in the city.

[ron_newman]

And they aren't really city employees, they are citizens who serve on a city committee (and receive some modest compensation, but not a full-time salary)

There are three commissioners. The chair, Andrew Upton, looks like he's in his 30s to early 40s, and surely knows what 'vegan' means. But the other two commissioners are much much older.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

One of the commissioners is 87, apparently! And he's held several public offices in the city.

Where he was born.

But apparently he's "out of touch" with "the people who live in this city" because he's not familiar with veganism.

[benndragon.livejournal.com]

That's a really succinct description of gentrification right there.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

It makes me angry because it "others" fellow residents who serve as commissioners.

Not everyone knows what the word "vegan" means, and the commissioners who weren't aware of this aren't "out of touch" with their fellow Somerville residents because that wasn't a word in their vocabulary.

Somerville is a big city, and people aged 25-40 aren't the only people who live in it.

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

Can you be anymore entitled?

[lbmango.livejournal.com]

I was just there this morning and nothing looked miss... I didn't see this until now, so I didn't ask... Someone, keep us informed!