Above: A historic Southborough store is getting a new look, and an eatery that opened during the pandemic is making waves for its upscale fast food. (Photo provided by Beth Mello)
A few weeks ago, two Southborough businesses made headlines (not the bad kind). I'm finally sharing those stories.
The MetroWest Daily News told readers about the historically convenient Fitzgerald General Store on the south side of town.
Even more unusually, a Washington Post travel writer wrote about how impressed he was by the event. pit stop She made it at Nan's Kitchen & Market in Southboro.
Natalie B. Compton writes of Nunn:
When did pit stop food become upscale?
The old Wendy's is located just off Interstate 495, about 30 miles west of Boston. It still retains the squat exterior of a '90s fast-food restaurant, with curved eaves above large windows overlooking the surrounding drive-thru. But there are no square burgers or Frosties inside.
At Nan's Kitchen & Market, customers tuck into a Nashville hot chicken sandwich on a pillowy roll, drizzled with smoky mayonnaise and shaved cabbage slaw. . .
It felt like it was designed for travelers like me, people who survive on Cheez-Its and pistachios in a pinch, but would rather find a meal at a local joint with a story behind it. (read more)
If you haven't checked out the restaurant yet, you can find more information here. (It's worth noting that this Wednesday is a particularly good time, because it's the time to support our Friends of the Southboro Youth Committee's March Munchy Madness fundraiser.)
As for Fitzgerald's story, it focused on the store's long and interesting history. In fact, it turns out that this blog was one of the sources for this story, thanks to a historical places post by my predecessor.
In 2010, Susan Fitzgerald wrote:
Talk about longevity. The building that is now home to Fitzgerald's General Store was built in the 1850s as a general store for the villages of Codaville and Southville. Over 150 years later, owners and names have changed, but the building still serves the same basic purpose.
February's MWDN post highlights:
Today's Fitzgerald General Store is a typical convenience store. It's a great place to win the lottery or he gets a gallon of milk, and maybe he gets a loaf of bread.
But the store at 110 Southville Road has a long history, having been around since the 1850s. It once housed the town's post office, and the upstairs meeting hall was home to Southborough's first Catholic congregation.
The article was accompanied by a photo that informed me that the facade of the building was built with a completely different look. (See the photo on the right with the 2010 photo inserted.) With that in mind, we stopped by to check out the new look, including a refreshed interior with new flooring.
This story also led me to seek updates from the Department of Public Health. It hasn't been good news for the store since we last wrote about Fitzgerald's in 2022. *
Director of Health Dr. Heather Alker says that since I spoke with her, the store has addressed the issues and is following the Board of Health's list of requirements to get back and maintain good standing.
*A few years ago, the Department of Health's efforts were significantly expanded to reflect state expectations. As part of that, they partnered with local towns to share food inspectors. Southborough businesses are now being inspected more regularly and to a higher standard.
As a result, several issues were raised at Fitzgerald's (which at the time had a fresh produce section) and the store was temporarily closed due to safety violations.
