"Oath Craft Pizza" proposed to replace Singer sewing machine store

[ron_newman]

As reported earlier, the Singer sewing machine shop at the corner of Elm and Day streets is moving to West Cambridge.  The new prospective tenant is a 16-seat superfast-order restaurant called Oath Craft Pizza.

Here are the submitted plan and the city planning staff report.  (Though I see only 13 seats in the diagram.)

From the planning report: "This pizza establishment is providing a different kind of experience by using super-efficient ovens to cook craft pizza in 90 seconds. "

They currently have two locations, Nantucket and South Station, but want to grow into a real chain.

Oath Craft Pizza Has Aggressive Growth Plans for Boston, Starting With South Station (Eater.com, 8/11/15)

The smallest pizzeria ever is opening in South Station (Boston Business Journal, 10/22/15)

Comments

[ayelle.livejournal.com]

Darn, I was hoping for Boca Grande, or Boloco. Or maybe Berryline!

(Kidding!)

[dougo.livejournal.com]

For when you really want pizza but you're too lazy to cross the street to Mike's?

lack of due diligence by planning staff

[jlauspitz.livejournal.com]

This is a "change of use" on a high opportunity location requiring due diligence by the City. It is good of Ron to attach the staff report. On basis of the restaurants' use of a high-speed, smoke-free (microwave?) oven, the staff report judges that this aspiring fast food chain will make a distinctive contribution to Davis Square-- without inspecting its menu, comparing its pricing and offerings to the 5-6 other pizza purveyors in Davis Square, discussing its place in the context of non-pizza fast food operators, discussing the balance that OSPCD has previously sought between prepared food and other retail establishments in the Square, inquiring about the expected ratio between take-out and sit-down service, noting the problem of circling cars while the 90-second takeout is prepared for pickup, discussing the future lane squeeze in the City's own plans for a second plaza at that intersection, advising the usual neighborhood meeting where the owners can address standard concerns about trash and debris, hours of operation, signage, outdoor seating, delivery service, community hiring, community service as evidenced in local charitable contributions, etc. By contrast, the staff report does give due diligence to explaining why affordable housing will not be affected. It mentions that the alderman has not been consulted, so perhaps they mean to pass the really important judgments and negotiations over to him.

Pizza joint/lack of due diligence

[mary388.livejournal.com]

Is this the same planing board who approved the Pink Berry plan? Remember that fiasco? Thanks, Ron, for the update. And kudos to jlauspitz for the comments
about the great number of things the planning board seems to have ignored.

[vonelftinhaus.livejournal.com]

Slightly OT, but where did you get those plans for that project Ron? I was searching around the city website and did find this reports and decisions page (http://www.somervillema.gov/departments/planning-board/reports-and-decisions) as i was curious if there was a plan submitted for the corner of School and Summer st yet, where the old gas station is.