Pepe Pizza Celebrating 97th Anniversary with Big Deal, Donations Accepted for Local Food Pantry

Frank Pepe Pizzeria NapoletanaFrank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana will offer 97 cent small pizzas during its 97th anniversary celebration. The following information was provided by Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana:

Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana (“Pepe’s Pizza”), an iconic New Haven-based eatery known for its signature coal-fired pies, will kick off summer with an exclusive promotion at its Watertown location at 24 Eldridge Avenue. 

To celebrate the brand’s 97-year legacy, from Friday, June 24 through Sunday, June 26, Frank Pepe’s of Watertown will offer customers one small, single topping pizza for 97-cents from 11 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. (in-store only). During these days, the Watertown Food Pantry will have a donation table set up at the restaurant with a check presentation on Friday, June 24. Jennifer Kelly, granddaughter of the late Frank Pepe, will be in town for the summer kick-off and available for interviews on Tuesday, June 21, and Wednesday, June 22. She can offer first-hand accounts of the brand’s history and share stories about growing up in the New Haven restaurant. She can also provide behind the scenes insight to Pepe’s unique cooking method, the “choreography” of how the “Pie men” work the “peels” and other signature elements of the Pepe’s experience.

Shares Available for Charles River Co-op, Group Looking to Create New Food Buying Alternative

Since the closing of Russo’s market in September 2021, a group of people has been working to create a new option for grocery and food shoppers in the Watertown area. On June 15, the Charles River Food Co-op formally kicks off the sale of shares in the planned store. The co-op had a soft opening in early June, and has already sold more than 70 shares, said Nick Quaranto, interim board president of the Charles River Food Co-op. The money raised by the shares, which cost $200 each, will go toward planning and building a store in one of the communities on which the co-op is focusing: Watertown, Waltham, and Newton. Shareholders will also be able to participate in co-op elections and will receive discounts after the store opens.

New Food Co-op Looks to Fill Void of Russo’s Closing, Offering Shares

The following information was provided by the Charles River Co-op:

The Charles River Food Co-op is announcing that we will soon be accepting members! As a reminder, the impetus to create the Charles River Food Co-op was the closing of Russo’s in Watertown. We are excited about our mission and vision for this new store, which includes replicating Russo’s fresh produce and food diversity, in addition to a focus on sustainability and community. While we don’t have a store for you to shop in yet, buying a member-owner share now allows us to build the financial foundation we need to fuel the next stage of our growth and fund the eventual store opening. You are investing in the future of the Charles River Co-op and enabling us to take the next step to reach our vision. 

Our share price will be $200 – which can be paid up-front or over 8 months in increments of $25.

Watertown Farmers Market Returning in June With Several New Vendors

Anaïs MarkwoodThe Watertown Farmers Market returns to Saltonstall Park on June 15. The Watertown Farmers Market will return on June 15 with four produce booths, and several new vendors including some familiar local names. The Farmers Market takes place Wednesdays from 2:30-6:30 p.m., rain or shine, at Saltonstall Park (next to City Hall, 149 Main St.). It runs from June 15 to Oct. 19, 2022.

Italian Eatery With Spots in Brookline & Newport Moving Into Watertown Square

Newport Restaurant GroupBar ‘Cino is slated to move into the space previously occupied by Stellina Restaurant. An Italian restaurant will be taking over the space previously occupied by Stellina Restaurant in Watertown Square. Bar ‘Cino (pronounced “chee-no”) is part of a the Newport Restaurant Group that includes other locations of Bar ‘Cino in Brookline and Newport, R.I., the Papa Razzi restaurants in Wellesley and Concord, as well as the Castle Hill Inn in Newport. The Brookline menu includes pizzas, pastas, entrees, bruschetta, and salads, among other dishes. The restaurant will be located at 47 Main St.