Town attracting interest despite restaurant closures

Dining service has officially ended at two different well-known casual restaurant locations in Canton following the closures of the Ninety Nine on Route 138 and Bertucci’s in Cobb’s Corner. However, just in the past few weeks, Interim Town Planner Gene Manning said he has begun fielding inquiries from other restaurants that are interested in coming to Canton.

In the case of the Ninety Nine, which officially closed its doors at 362 Turnpike Street on Sunday, November 27, the owner of the property has decided to pursue a new use — a self-storage facility — and will be submitting new plans for review by the Building Department, Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals.

Manning said the Ninety Nine, which was leasing the space, could have stayed until sometime later in 2023 but decided to close early. It is not known if the company will consider reopening at another site in Canton. As it stands, those who worked at the Turnpike Street location are being transferred to other nearby Ninety Nine restaurants or accepting severance packages.

As for Bertucci’s, the company recently filed for bankruptcy protection for the second time in four years. The Massachusetts-based pizza chain at one time operated close to 100 locations across the Northeast but now has less than half that number. In addition to the Canton location, Bertucci’s has also shuttered locations in Beverly, Brockton, Marlborough and North Attleborough, as well as Manchester and Salem, New Hampshire.

The company cited falling sales and rising expenses, which officials attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic and the current inflationary economic climate, as reasons for the downsizing. Last year, Bertucci’s reported an operating loss of $14 million and currently has more than $47 million in debt, according to its bankruptcy filing.

Employees impacted by the closures will be offered positions at one of the 20 remaining Bertucci’s locations in Massachusetts.

Despite the departure of these two household names, Manning said Canton remains an attractive location for new establishments. “The town of Canton is always open and supportive to new restaurants in our community,” he said, “and large areas of the town have designated zoning specific to that usage, including the Village Shoppes, downtown Washington Street, and Route 138.”

Manning, who also chairs the Economic Development Committee and serves on the board member of the Canton Association of Business and Industry (CABI), said the town has a strong track record of being business friendly, zoning friendly, and being welcoming to newcomers.

Regarding the liquor licenses held by Bertucci’s and the Ninety Nine, Select Board Chair John Connolly said they can be sold and transferred to prospective buyers pending board approval, but they cannot be held indefinitely. If no action is taken after a certain period of time, then the Select Board can move to schedule a revocation hearing.

In other local economic news, Connolly has asked Manning to reach out to officials at Bank of America to inquire about the recent and sudden closure of its downtown Canton branch and their future plans for the site at 710 Washington Street. “At this time, we are awaiting their response to our inquiry,” said Manning.

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Posted by Mike Berger on Dec 23 2022. Filed under Business. Both comments and pings are currently closed.