Pemberton Market is merging into Pemberton Farms

[ron_newman]

Pemberton Market, the liquor and convenience store at 2245 Mass. Ave., will close on May 31 and will merge into Pemberton Farms, the grocery and garden center next door at 2225 Mass. Ave.

Nobody at either store yet knows exactly how this is going to work, or whether Pemberton Farms will have longer hours after the merger. Currently Pemberton Farms closes at 9 pm Monday-Friday and 8 pm Saturday and Sunday, while Pemberton Market stays open until 11 pm.

Old-timers will remember that 2245 Mass. Ave. used to house the 24-hour "Bread & Butter Konvenience [sic]" store, and before that, a 24-hour White Hen Pantry. I'd love to see another 24-hour convenience store move in.

Kate Mattes of Kate's Mystery Books had blocked the sale of liquor at Pemberton Farms, but she has moved out and sold her house to someone else who doesn't object to the liquor license.

Comments

[lonelyholiday.livejournal.com]

Yikes, the thing that surprises me most about this post is that I guess I've been here long enough to classify as an "old-timer." I remember the White Hen! ha.

[ron_newman]

I still miss the White Hen. Used to get far too many sandwiches made for me in the wee hours there.

tangent

[perich.livejournal.com]

Anyone know why 24-hour businesses are apparently okay in Porter Square but nowhere else in Cambridge?

Re: tangent

[ron_newman]

I don't think that's true, as there are 24-hour convenience stores (7-Eleven, I think) and CVS drugstores in Central Square and Harvard Square. The LaVerde's Market in the MIT Student Center has at times been open 24 hours, though I don't know if it currently is.

Edit: Also Tedeschi's (Store 24) at Broadway and Prospect.

[lonelyholiday.livejournal.com]

I'll admit I live closer to Porter so I spent more time in the White Hen that is now Gourmet Express, and that one's still thankfully 24 hours. I agree that sometimes a late-night sandwich is necessary. And I still catch myself calling this one "White Hen" when giving directions, as in "turn left at the White Hen," and if I don't catch myself, I get someone lost.

Citation Needed?

[ethanfield.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the tip, Ron! BTW, what's your source on this? I couldn't find news of it elsewhere.

Re: Citation Needed?

[ron_newman]

Reading the big signs in the windows of Pemberton Market today, and talking to employees at both stores (both tonight and 3 years ago)

I sent Mark Levy at Cambridge Day a link to this post, so maybe he'll report on it too.

[sparkgrrl658.livejournal.com]

i always call that place white hen still, and i'm hardly an old timer ;D

and yes, thankfully you can still get real hot food there all the time! most places despite being open are only selling the packaged stuff, not still making new items. sooooooo good. plus, they have all my favorite haribo candy and some other neat stuff too! AND, on thanksgiving they were able to sell me stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, a pie, and the guy was nice enough to pity me and open the deli so my boyfriend and i could make hot open face turkey sandwiches. (long mess of a night before and morning and we had to scrap our plans elsewhere.)

Re: tangent

[sparkgrrl658.livejournal.com]

yeah, 7-11 (at least one of them, there are 3 in that immediate area) and cvs are 24 hours, and there is also another 24 hour place (wait, maybe this is the tedeschis you're talking about) on the way out to somerville.

Re: tangent

[ron_newman]

Unfortunately 7-11's website doesn't indicate the hours for its locations. (I don't think the Trum Field 7-11 in Somerville is open 24 hours, for example.) There's another Cambridge 7-11 at Prospect and Hampshire near Inman Square.

[on-reserve.livejournal.com]

For the record (and somewhat unrelated) ... the "someone else" is a really wonderful podiatrist, Dr. Yena Do who I fully endorse should you need treatment for any foot/ankle problems.

Goodbye and Good Ridance Kate

[paradoox.livejournal.com]

I know I'm probably in the minority about Kate, but I was never that impressed with her, her store, and her ego, but this just gives me another reason to be glad that she is gone from the scene.

Re: Citation Needed?

[ursamajor]

I can vouch for this as well - was walking down Mass Ave last night and saw the sign in the Pemberton Market window at 2245 that it was "moving a few doors down to 2225" (the current address for Pemberton Farms).

Re: tangent

[sparkgrrl658.livejournal.com]

yeah, that's frustrating. i *think* maybe the one on mass ave that's not on the side with cvs closes, but the one on the corner with parking in the back is 24. (if they aren't they're still open very, very late, as is the one that is just a tiny bit further down after the tedeschis you mentioned.)

Re: Goodbye and Good Ridance Kate

[sparkgrrl658.livejournal.com]

i hadn't heard of her now nor had i been to her store but that kind of snooty attitude makes me feel the same way.

[ron_newman]

I posted a link to this post on Pemberton's Facebook page, and got this reply from Mark Saidnawey:

"Yes after 85 years of business we are closing Pemberton Market, once on the corner of Mass and Rindge and now at the old "white hen" spot and consolidating into our family business's permanent home at Pemberton Farms. The reasons are many, but the simple one is that we just weren't profitable with two locations side by side. We are hopeful that sometime in June we hope to be selling beer and wine at Pemberton Farms. Although we have larger plans for our business down the road, for now we will incorporate this into the existing store and hope to make it all work.

As for the hours. We do hope to expand our hours of operation to accommodate the sale of beer and wine but will need city approval, so that is still pending, but hopefully we can :)

Any Questions???"

[lldald.livejournal.com]

I hope (fear, and expect) that this will mean even fewer garden supplies and yet another place to buy grocery items. I always try to buy lawn/garden needs at Pembertons rather than the big orange store but it's getting harder and harder to get what I need. *sigh*

[ron_newman]

I don't know what the big orange store is, but does Tags sell any of what you need if you can't find it at Pemberton?

[lldald.livejournal.com]

Home Depot. Good thought but no, the selection at Tags is pretty slim as well. The perils of living in a neighborhood with tiny lots/lawns -- tiny garden supply sections! Oh well. Thankfully we still have all the great advantages of D2 to enjoy. Thanks for the info!

[ron_newman]

I don't think Pemberton is going to reduce their garden section. Maybe they'll cut back on pet supplies or some of the other stuff in the back that nobody ever sees or buys.

[m-b-w.livejournal.com]

Actually, they have plenty of garden stuff in the back.

From Pemberton Farms

[pemberton farms (from livejournal.com)]

We are not reducing our gardening supplies or anything else in fact. We'll make it all fit and continue as we are now, just with more items to offer...

Re: tangent

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

The CVS at Fresh Pond is 24-hour. I don't think your info is accurate.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

Bonny's on Bay State Road (near the Fresh Pond rotaries) has some wonderful things.

Re: From Pemberton Farms

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

Good to hear!

Re: Citation Needed?

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

This makes sense to me; I used to buy liquor (well, wine) at the old location but somehow never managed to walk over to the former White Hen space after shopping at Pemberton Farms. My hope is that it will be well-curated and not reduce the existing offerings, either grocery or garden, in the main store.

[lldald.livejournal.com]

Cool, I'll check it out. Thanks!

Re: tangent

[perich.livejournal.com]

Man, I dunno nothin'.

[maelithil.livejournal.com]

They've been cutting back their gardening stock for at least a year, as far as I can tell.

Do you have a car?

[shana-lyons.livejournal.com]

. . . because if you do, Mahoney's in Winchester is the most out of this world garden center ever. Their selection is flat out amazing. Last weekend I had to talk my husband out of buying a pluot tree there.

Re: Do you have a car?

[lldald.livejournal.com]

Yeah, thanks. I know Mahoney's and also love Russels in Wayland. But I always loved being able to scoot over to Pemberton's and getting just about anything I'd need, right in the neighborhood. Hopefully they'll keep that section in the back well stocked! (or, at the least, I hope the business will thrive under its new combined format. At least they're not closing up shop in favor of a burrito chain!)

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I had no idea there was a garden store back there, and I've passed by plenty of times.

Re: tangent

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

Well, it's not like Cambridge laws make any sense...

Re: Do you have a car?

[antimony.livejournal.com]

Their selection is pretty good, but their prices aren't great, especially when you just need stuff and not plants. There's a garden store up the same street near Woburn 5 Corners, whose name I have no recollection of, but I usually end up buying basics there.

Re: From Pemberton Farms

[lldald.livejournal.com]

Happy to hear that!