Business

New Watertown Square Salon the Fulfills the Dream of Young Business Owner

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Plush Beauty BarPlush Beauty Bar opened in a renovated space in Watertown Square in September. At just age 23, Francesca Vigliotta fulfilled her dream. She wanted to open her own salon and she was able to make it happen when she saw an open space in Watertown Square. Plush Beauty Bar held its grand opening in mid-September, and it is a family collaboration with Francesca teaming up with her sister, Jessica, who is two years older. The salon offers a variety of services, including eyelash extensions, waxing, threading, lifts and tints, spray tans, make up application, and they plan to offer more.

Business

New STEM Education Fund Will Provide Grants to Watertown Teachers, Funded by Local Companies, WCF & Life Science Cares

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The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Community Foundation and Life Science Cares Boston:

Life Science Cares Boston is collaborating with the Watertown Community Foundation and four Watertown-based life science companies to launch the Watertown STEM Education Fund, a special effort to fund science, technology, engineering & math programming in the Watertown Public Schools. Four corporate contributors — Arranta Bio, C4 Therapeutics, Forma Therapeutics & Landmark Bio — and Life Science Cares have committed a total of $15,000 in funding for teacher-driven requests for supplemental materials, books, equipment, special events and speakers, student programs and experimental school or district-wide initiatives. The fund builds on the Watertown Community Foundation’s annual school-based educational grants program and will increase total funding for the foundation’s grants this fall. “This exciting new partnership and funding commitment will expand our ability to support Watertown teachers through our annual education grant program. Each year we receive far more grant requests than we can fund, particularly in the area of science and technology. This STEM Fund will truly transform our grant giving capacity and provide teachers and our schools with more resources to support students in the classroom,” said Jan Singer, Watertown Community Foundation Executive Director.

Business

Record Store in Watertown Square Has Drawn a Crowd in Its First Year

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Anaïs MarkwoodA wide range of musical genres are available at Wanna Hear It. New and used albums are available

Calling all vinyl lovers, if you haven’t heard yet, Watertown is now home to a record store! Wanna Hear It Records opened during the COVID-19 pandemic in early December and has been operating a successful business ever since. 

Located right in Watertown Square at 7 Main St., Wanna Hear It sells records for a variety of interests. Many Watertown residents noticed a line around the block to get into the store on a few occasions throughout the summer, sparking curiosity about the new shop. Owner Joey Cahill described the store’s inventory as, “A mix of everything,” saying “our main focus is Indie Rock, Punk, Hardcore, Emo, some Top 40, hip hop [and] metal.” The shop also does record trading and has “about half and half new and used [records]”.

Business

New Cafe in Watertown Square Serves Coffee from Local Roasters, A Variety of Teas and House Made Baked Goods

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Coffee and tea lovers have a new option in Watertown, O’Some Cafe, where you can also grab a freshly baked treat. Owner Ricci Cheng has turned a former vape shop into a cafe right in Watertown Square (100 Main St.) across from the Fire Station. O’Some Cafe opened in mid-August. Before that, Cheng worked at Cupcake City in Reading for about five years. She moved the the United States from Hong Kong a dozen years ago.

Around Town

Local Dance Studio Survives the Challenges of the Pandemic, Uncertainty About Home at Watertown Mall

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The Watertown Mall recently changed owners when Watertown Mall Associates Limited Partnership sold it for $130 million to Alexandria Real Estate Equities on April 21. Business owners in the mall spent much of the early summer wondering what the new changes would mean for them, including Maria Zullo, owner of Miss Maria’s School of Dance. Miss Maria’s School of Dance (MMDS) was founded 10 years ago in Watertown and has grown into a thriving local business. The studio was originally located on Waverley Avenue in the current location of Suzyn Day Spa, and has since moved three times, growing larger with each move. 

The first location had a single dance room, and after two years, MMSD expanded into a three dance room location on Main Street. In its eighth year of business, Zullo was able to secure a lease at the Watertown Mall in the location where the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) used to be.

Around Town

LETTER: Loss of Russo’s Hurts, But Watertown Still Has Many Gems

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To the Editor:

Reports of culture’s demise in Watertown are greatly exaggerated. Is there a way for Watertown to avoid losing a gem like Russo’s, some have asked? (https://www.watertownmanews.com/2021/08/16/letter-is-there-a-way-for-watertown-to-avoid-losing-a-gem-like-russos/) The simple answer is no. There isn’t any one shop that can replace Russo’s in Watertown. That’s gone; like so many of gentrified Boston’s mainstays such as No Names, Durgin-Park, soon-to-be closed Kowloon, Circle Pizza, Jimmy’s Harborside, Anthony’s, and so many more.

Around Town

Russo’s Market Will Be Closing, Owner Announces Retirement

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An institution in Watertown will be closing later this year when Russo’s market closes its doors after more than 100 years since it started business as a farm. The announcement was sent out by the store on Sunday, Aug. 15, on Facebook, and a statement was also posted on the Russo’s website. A Facebook post said that Tony Russo will be retiring later this year. He recalled working with his grandparents on the farm and his father and uncle at the wholesale warehouse.

Business

Watertown Advertising Agency Works on Campaigns of Change, Including the State’s COVID-19 Efforts

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MORE AdvertisingThe co-owners of MORE Advertising, Managing Partner and President Judi Haber, left, and Founder and CEO Donna Latson Gittens. A Watertown-based advertising agency with a different focus has been in business for nearly a quarter century. Unlike most agencies it does not market products, it works on campaigns of behavior change, including Massachusetts’ COVID-19 prevention and vaccination efforts. MORE Advertising is a full-service, integrated advertising agency, but there is a major difference from most agencies, said Managing Partner and President Judi Haber. “Traditional advertising agencies sell products.