Worcester Business Journal

14 Worcester Business Journal | January 12, 2026 | wbjournal.com B E S T O F B U S I N E S S F O O D & D R I N K BEST MARIJUANA COMPANY Winner: Bud's Goods & Provisions*, in Worcester Bud's Goods & Provisions operates cannabis retail locations in Worcester, Abington, and Watertown. The com- pany offers in-house cannabis brands including Bud's Flower in various siz- es, Jay's pre-rolls, Lil' Jay's 10-packs, Party Packs of half-gram pre-rolls, and Goodies infused pre-rolls. Bud's main- tains wholesale operations in Mas- sachusetts and New Jersey, serving both retail customers and wholesale partners. Website: budsgoods.com Top executive: Alex Mazin, president & CEO Founded: 2018 Employees: 120 Notable runners-up: Major Bloom in Worcester, Diem Cannabis in Worcester BEST RESTAURANT FOR BUSINESS DINNER Winner: One Eleven Chop House*, in Worcester One Eleven sep- arates itself from the competition by delivering tremen- dous value. Its steaks are hand selected, certified prime-grade and are typically $10 to $25 less than comparable Boston steak houses and national chains. The wine list has received Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence annually since 2001. Top executives: Robb and Madeleine Ahlquist, founders; Caitlyn Carolan, president & owner of Worcester Restaurant Group; Keith Carolan, chief operating officer & owner of Worcester Restaurant Group; Aaron Francisco, general manager of One Eleven Chop House Founded: 1999 Employees: 92 Notable runners-up: The Sole Proprietor in Worcester, VIA Italian Table in Worcester BEST CATERER Winner: Peppers Artful Events*, in Northborough Peppers Artful Events provides ca- tering and event services for corpo- rate gatherings, weddings, nonprofit events, and private celebrations. The company offers scratch-made food with seasonal and regional sourcing, including greens grown in an on-site Freight Farm. Services include profes- sional front-of-house teams, bar and beverage service, rentals, and event coordination. Website: www.peppersartulevents.com Top executive: Owen Wiggins, owner Founded: 1987 Employees: 50 Notable runners-up: Simply Delicious Catering in Worcester, Creedon & Co. in Worcester BY LIVIA GERSHON Special to WBJ F or Paul Wengender, who found- ed Worcester's Greater Good Im- perial Brewing in 2015, brewing solved a problem. When he drank beer, he preferred to have just one or two high-quality beverages with alcohol contents closer to wine than to a light beer. His options were limited. "He found that the beers that were on the market at the time were coming off as boozy, syrupy, harsh flavored," said J.T. Ethier, who took over business operations for the company when Wen- gender stepped back from day-to-day management in 2024. "A lot of breweries developing high-alcohol beer would just take a typical recipe and add sugar." So Wengender set out to develop his own recipes, building strong flavors that could stand up to a high alcohol-by-vol- ume level. When he went from amateur home brewing to commercial sales, he started by contracting with breweries to make his recipes, selling at local stores and bars. en, in 2018, Greater Good moved production to Worcester and opened a taproom. ere, customers can experi- ence the brewery's offerings alongside choices from an extensive menu, and maybe a trivia night or live music, de- pending on the day. "It really creates more of a personal experience," Ethier said. e focus on high-ABV, or imperial, beers helps Greater Good stand out in a crowded market. For example, its Goodnight Moon 11% ABV chocolate stout is intended as an aer-dinner beer comparable to a desert wine. To serve brewpub diners who want a lighter option, the company developed a line of lower ABV beers called Soul Purpose, which it now sells in stores alongside the larger Greater Good line. In June of 2025, Greater Good was ac- quired by Barrel One Collective, a com- pany formed through the 2025 merger of Boston-based Mass. Bay Brewing Company, owner of Harpoon Brewery, and Finestkind Brewing, which operated Smuttynose Brewery in New Hampshire. Barrel One includes more than a dozen New England brands, including Central Massachusetts' Wachusett Brewing. e new ownership brings a local Worcester connection. Barrel One Co-founder and President Dan Kenary grew up in Newton Square and has been taking part in local events such as an aer-hours Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce functions at Greater Good. e Greater Good facility now brews beers for all the brands in the collective. Ethier said the diversification of products has been a nice shi for the brewing staff. At one point, much of their time was devoted to making the brand's most popular beer, Pulp Daddy, an 8% ABV IPA. Now, Ethier said, they can do more unique things. e new ownership means greater distribution opportunities for the Greater Good brand, which is already available across most of the Northeast. Barrel One has relationships with distributors across the country. "So the future for Greater Good is bright for distribution as well," Ethier said. Greater Good's eclectic taproom in Worcester BEST BREWERY Winner: Greater Good Imperial Brewing*, in Worcester Website: www.greatergoodimperials.com Top executive: Nathaniel Davis, CEO Founded: 2015 Employees: 20 Notable runners-up: Tree House Brewing in Charlton, Wormtown Brewing in Worcester, Wachusett Brewing in Westminster, Seven Saws Brewing in Holden, Cold Harbor Brewing in Westborough Caitlyn Carolan Greater Good developed a high-alcohol niche W W W W

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