Two new places have opened in Somerville's squares since August: Liars in Teele Square and Saint Brigid's Well in Magoun Square. The people behind them were already pouring drinks a short distance away, at Spoke Wine Bar in Davis Square and The Druid in Cambridge. Each one moved into a room that had already been a restaurant. Five other announced projects are still waiting, and as of October 12, 2026, none of them has a confirmed opening date. Most of that waiting list involves something more complicated than reopening a dining room. One is a former auto body shop. One is a former convenience store. One depends on whether a building sale closes.
Teele Square: The Spoke Team Moves Into a Larger Room
Liars took over the former True Bistro space at 1153 Broadway. Boston Magazine gave August 20 as its opening date and listed Mary Kurth as owner, Paul Butler in the kitchen and Katie Weismann running the bar. The group behind it runs Spoke Wine Bar, which opened in Davis Square in 2013.
Hoodline's September 25 write-up, which draws on Boston Globe reporting, confirmed that Liars debuted in August. It has two bars, a 14-seat bar room and a 32-seat dining room. Spoke's footprint is compact, so this is a much bigger format for the same people. Hoodline, drawing on Boston Globe reporting, says the seasonal menu has included salmon crudo and a lamb stew with zucchini, with fermented red tofu added to the lamb. Starters and somen run $8 to $20, and soups, stews and plates run $15 to $50. According to the same piece, the wine list reaches into Lebanon and Armenia, and the cocktail program includes nonalcoholic versions.
The room was ready-made, and so was the team. The people running it already had years of service in the same city.
Magoun Square: A Druid Bartender's Pub, Open by October
Magoun Square went through the same process at 525 Medford Street. Daddy Jones, a Greek restaurant, closed late last year after 13 years in business, and before that the space was Lil Vinny's. Boston Restaurant Talk reported on September 4 that Saint Brigid's Well, a new Irish pub, would take over the room. A licensing commission video named Michael John Queally as the person behind it. He is a bartender and manager at The Druid in Cambridge.
On launch, the pub's website listed fish and chips, shepherd's pie and Irish coffee, and called itself "a warm room for regulars, students, tourists, neighbors, and anyone who needs a good pint and better company." The same Boston Restaurant Talk post was updated on October 2: according to the pub's social media, Saint Brigid's Well is now open. From first public report to open door took about four weeks.
The Waiting List, as of Mid-October
Everything else announced for the squares this year is still in progress. This table shows the most recent dated reporting for each project.
| Project | Address | Area | Previous use | Latest reported status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kima Cafe | 75 Bow St. | Union | Fortissimo Coffeehouse | Targeted mid-September 2026; no confirmed opening found |
| First Crush | 259 Washington St. | Union | Juliet Social Club | Website still says "coming this fall" |
| Yafa Bakery & Cafe, second location | 187 Elm St. | Davis | Posto | Owner visited the site Sept. 11; no timeline |
| Lyndell's Bakery, relocation | Corner of Lowden Ave. and Broadway | Broadway, down the street from 720 Broadway | Convenience store | Aiming for the holiday season |
| Curiosity Brewing | 49 Day St. | Davis | Auto body shop | Targeting late spring 2027 |
The two longest timelines both involve turning a building into something it was never designed to be.
Why a Former Auto Body Shop Runs on a 2027 Clock
Boston.com reported on September 15 that Curiosity Brewing will convert a vacant former auto body shop in Davis Square into a café by day and a brewery by night, serving coffee and snacks during the day and hazy New England IPAs in the evening. Its target is late spring of 2027. The founder, Nick DeFae, is a data scientist and award-winning homebrewer. Boston Restaurant Talk places it at 49 Day Street, next to American Flatbread, and says the plans include a taproom, an espresso bar and a patio or beer garden. That is roughly eight months beyond today, for a building that has never held a kitchen or a bar.
Lyndell's is a smaller move with more history behind it. A Swedish immigrant, Birger C. Lindahl, founded the bakery in 1882. It has been at 720 Broadway since 1953, its second location. The Somerville Times reported that owner Bill Galatis plans to move it down the street into a former convenience store at the corner of Lowden Avenue and Broadway. The layout will be essentially the same, with all-new equipment and windows behind the counter so customers can watch the assembly. The old ticket dispenser is coming along. Galatis gave the timeline in seasonal terms:
"We are moving sometime in the fall, and we want to be in our new location for the holiday season."
That article ran August 19. No later report confirming the move turned up, and the new storefront's street number hasn't been published.
Yafa's second location falls somewhere in the middle. It is taking over a former restaurant, Posto at 187 Elm Street, but the Cambridge | Somerville Independent described the work in its September 22 story as converting an empty space. The owner had visited on September 11, and no opening schedule was available. The original Yafa remains at 594 Somerville Avenue.
Union Square's Two Rooms That Are Still Dark
Union Square shows that a familiar room is a head start but no guarantee. Both of its pending projects are going into former food-and-drink spaces, and neither has confirmed a launch.
Kima Cafe is Alex Kim's Korean- and Asian-influenced café concept at 75 Bow Street, in the former Fortissimo Coffeehouse. Patch reported on August 17 that the forecast was mid-September. Boston Restaurant Talk had reported on August 11 that Kima hoped to open "sometime in mid-September if all goes as planned." That window has passed, and no confirmation of an opening has been published.
First Crush, Gabrielle Malina's natural-wine bar and events space, is planned for 259 Washington Street, the former Juliet Social Club. Boston Restaurant Talk said in August that it hoped to open sometime this fall. The First Crush website still reads "wine bar coming this fall to union square in somerville. stay tuned for updates," and describes First Crush as a pop-up series for now.
Where Davis Square Stands
Davis Square has both the most activity and the most uncertainty. NU Kitchen at 195 Washington Street has closed after nearly 10 years. Boston Restaurant Talk reported on August 27 that the closure notice gave no plan to reopen.
Rosebud Bar and Kitchen at 381 Summer Street is described as temporarily closed. The Somerville Times reported in August that the restaurant's license has been reduced to zero hours while negotiations over the building continue, so it will stay closed for an indeterminate period. No public update has appeared since that August 20 story, so the space's future is still open.
Meanwhile, the city has been working on the square itself. A City of Somerville announcement dated August 7 described a colorful asphalt mural, added seating, native pollinator plantings and string lights in the Slip Lane by Mike's. Statue Park got new placemaking art and updated banners. A ribbon-cutting was held on August 21. The streetscape upgrades are finished, even as several storefronts around them are dark or under construction.
What's on the Calendar While the Signs Wait
The next big event in the squares is SomerStreets: Monster Mash on Sunday, October 18, from 1 to 5 p.m. It runs on Somerville Avenue between Church Street and Union Square, with a rain date of October 25. The day includes a costume parade, live music, activities and local food vendors. The Somerville Arts Council listing names these performers and vendors:
- Music: the BosWitches, Proyecto Tempo, Los Mambiseros, and performers curated by Mass Ave Music
- Food: Straight A's BBQ & Things, BanglaAdda Bengali, Dos Manos Kitchen and Gracie's Ice Cream
The two other big fall events have already happened. HONK! ran October 9 through 11, with lantern-making and band showcases in Union Square on Friday and a free street-band day in Davis Square on Saturday. Before that, WBUR's fall festival preview listed the September 19 What the Fluff? Festival, which marked its 21st year with the theme "Legally Fluff: A Toast to Union Square," 36 food and drink vendors and free admission.
Monster Mash will pass right by the Union Square block where Kima and First Crush are still preparing to open.
At Masterman Elek Group, we follow Somerville storefronts like these because what happens on a block is part of what homeowners there talk about every day. If you own near one of these squares and want to talk through what the changes on your street could mean for your home, we'd be glad to set up a consultation.
