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Brighton Center must be changing: It could get a fancy-shmancy coffee place

By adamg on Fri, 01/26/2018 - 10:30am
Caffe Nero going up in Brighton Center

Alex Byer couldn't help but notice the new plywood that's gone up on a vacant storefront on Washington Street at Winship Street. Brighton Center already has several places to get a cup of coffee, but none of them spell it "caffè."

The British-based, Italianish chain, whose first Boston outlets were in JP and in one of the new luxury buildings in Downtown Crossing, still has to go before the Brighton-Allston Improvement Association, the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Boston Licensing Board before it can open.

The BAIA considers the proposed caffèhouse at a meeting this Thursday at the Brighton Elks on Washington Street. The meeting starts at 7 p.m.

Neighborhoods: 
Brighton
Topics: 
Dining
Free tagging: 
Caffe Nero
Coffee
Brighton Center


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Comments

By Refugee on Fri, 01/26/2018 - 10:33am.

That's how you spell "cafè" when you tweet too late at night.

By adamg on Fri, 01/26/2018 - 10:44am.

And speak a language where that's how you spell it.

By SharpWave on Fri, 01/26/2018 - 10:40am.

At least it's not a bank branch or a hair salon.

By formerlyTheSoBoYuppie on Fri, 01/26/2018 - 11:32am.

or a sports bar.

By King.of.Brighton on Fri, 01/26/2018 - 11:39am.

Unless I'm mistaken, it's replacing a bank.

By MC Slim JB on Fri, 01/26/2018 - 10:45am.

not very good, in my view, based on a few visits to the South End one.

By BostonDog on Fri, 01/26/2018 - 1:42pm.

Worse than pavement.

By Pete Nice on Fri, 01/26/2018 - 2:56pm.

It is kind of like Petes, which is a little too dry for some reason for my liking, but that is just me.

(I drink hot black coffee, usually dark roast)

By Kbee on Fri, 01/26/2018 - 10:52am.

Agreed. Fancy? A joke.

By cybah on Fri, 01/26/2018 - 11:01am.

My Israeli coworkers love that place. Say its the best place to get real Italian coffee in the city.

I should also note we have one at the end of our block where our office is...

I don't see it.. then again I like Dunkin Dishwater.

By Matthew Wise on Fri, 01/26/2018 - 10:46am.

Caffè Nero is just European for "Starbucks".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caff%C3%A8_Nero

By Will LaTulippe on Fri, 01/26/2018 - 10:56am.

That was a vacant former TD Bank for what feels like at least five years. Imagine not collecting any rent that whole time. What recession?

By Kaz on Fri, 01/26/2018 - 12:09pm.

Was that a Rent-A-Center before or after it was TDBank?

I can never remember.

By Will LaTulippe on Fri, 01/26/2018 - 12:46pm.

And I don't remember that being a Rent-a-Center at all. And I used to host trivia at the Briar frequently.

By Kaz on Fri, 01/26/2018 - 3:11pm.

It was a Boomerangs before TD Bank...maybe that's what I'm remembering. But I could have sworn it had the awful blue & yellow look of a Rent-A-Center at some point.

By coffeeweasel on Fri, 01/26/2018 - 3:38pm.

I think it was a Rent-A-Center before it was Boomerangs.

By Scandaliz on Fri, 01/26/2018 - 3:12pm.

TD paid the rent on an empty storefront for 10 years.

By Will LaTulippe on Fri, 01/26/2018 - 4:50pm.

No wonder their stock treads water. Glad I sold most of it.

By KTD on Fri, 01/26/2018 - 11:17am.

Noticed this this morning too. I am excited that this space is being filled. I wonder how it will effect Cafenation down the street. Brighton Center is getting fancy

By gertis on Fri, 01/26/2018 - 3:23pm.

Cafenation should up it's game, how bout renewing all it's old furniture, or even painting the place, enough with the watery coffee!
Cafe Nero, might not be the Starbucks over the pond, but probably the best coffee Brighton Center has ever had!

By UHub-fan on Sat, 01/27/2018 - 9:52am.

They did paint the place a couple of years ago. But I think they chose bad colors that make it look dingy.

It's a tough space: long shoebox, north-facing windows, so it always looks dark in there. They need lighter colors on the walls.

Yeah, I've spent a lot of time there. They care about quality, but they don't always make the best decisions.

By JB on Fri, 01/26/2018 - 11:55am.

Glad to see a vacancy filled but if i'm in that neighborhood, Cafenation will continue to get my money.

By ynckay on Fri, 01/26/2018 - 12:21pm.

Cafenation stays right where it is and doesn't get hurt by them, great. It's one of the reasons I miss living in that area - amazing turkey club and ridiculous housemade balsamic glaze.

By WhiteGuy on Fri, 01/26/2018 - 12:29pm.

What makes this place so special that a local shop can't replicate (and probably do much better)? Nero is no more interesting than any other coffee chain.

By zetag on Fri, 01/26/2018 - 12:37pm.

get funding and open a shop in the area.

By anon on Fri, 01/26/2018 - 12:43pm.

economy of scale?

By anon on Fri, 01/26/2018 - 1:18pm.

I have hung out there when I got in super early for an interview. Also when waiting to meet others. It is a nice hang out space.

By lbb on Sun, 01/28/2018 - 9:03pm.

I have hung out there when I got in super early for an interview. Also when waiting to meet others. It is a nice hang out space.

A cafe that doesn't exist yet is a nice hang out space?

By Ishmael Jones on Fri, 01/26/2018 - 1:39pm.

Have never been in there as I prefer the coffee at work, but when I pass there in the morning, it looks like a very inviting atmosphere. I like the décor with the bookshelves, and the comfortable looking chairs and couches. There is always a good crowd there. I always wish I could sit there in a corner with a cup of coffee and a book instead of going to work.

By Kaz on Fri, 01/26/2018 - 3:03pm.

My company is located nearby the DTX Nero. A few months ago, we decided to skip the umpteen flights of stairs in a full fire drill in our building. We met up at the Nero instead and waited until we got the all-clear e-mail. It's not a bad working environment for a few hours. The atmosphere is much more homey than a Starbucks. The WiFi allowed for full streaming screen-sharing with audio.

The coffee was just okay. The pastry was fairly tasty.

By Lee on Fri, 01/26/2018 - 1:48pm.

They are very nice and cozy but the coffee and pastries are disappointing. The espresso is ok.

By Parkwayne on Fri, 01/26/2018 - 2:08pm.

and per some commenters, they should have been barred from opening to prevent the corrosive influence of corporate chains or some such nonsense?

It's a shame how that's exactly what happened and now JP is nothing but banks and national chains.

Oh wait...

By SC from JP on Fri, 01/26/2018 - 2:25pm.

As I recall, it replaced a bank branch.

I actually went there for the first time the other week. It was fine. Also haven't noticed any negative impact on locally-owned City Feed or Seven Pond. And another coffee shop has just opened a couple blocks down on South St, so clearly this place is meeting a previously unmet demand.

By UHub-fan on Sat, 01/27/2018 - 9:56am.

Upside: one of the only places where you can still find the increasingly elusive single espresso.

I'll always go for the independents, but when there isn't one around Nero is a nice place to be. FAR nicer than Starbucks, especially the SBs that have drive-thrus.