Worcester Business Journal

6 Worcester Business Journal | September 21, 2026 | wbjournal.com Prominent Downtown Worcester restaurant up for sale Armsby Abbey, a Downtown Worcester restaurant known for its extensive beer selection and farm-to- table menu, is up for sale. An online listing with an asking price of $995,000 advertises the restau- rant as a unique opportunity to buy an established business in Downtown Worcester. e sale of the restaurant would include its long-term lease at 144 Main St. In a statement to WBJ, Armsby Abbey owners Sherri Sadowski and Alec Lopez said they are looking for the right person to take over the restaurant as they step back from the business. "Aer 18 years of ownership we are considering taking a step back to focus on the things that are most important to us; our son, family, and friends," the statement reads. "We have lost a few very important people in our lives in recent years which has truly brought to our attention how precious life is and how fast time is going by. In the meantime, nothing changes at Arms- by; we are business as usual and will continue to operate as such. We aren't going anywhere Worcester; Armsby Abbey has always been, and always will be, our pride and joy." e listing says the business brought in about $2.38 million in revenue in 2025, with Armsby Abbey paying $6,100 per month in rent. e site of the restaurant is owned by the Lensyd Nominee Trust of West Boylston, according to Worcester District Reg- istry of Deeds records. Offering both lunch and dinner seven days a week, Armsby Abbey first opened in 2008. e restaurant also offers brunch on weekends. Grimes & Co. acquires Needham-based CPA firm, adds COO Westborough-based investment advisory firm Grimes & Co. has acquired a Needham-based CPA firm and brought in a chief operating officer. Grimes' acquisition of Stevens and Ciccone Associates adds about 800 new tax clients to the firm, Grimes an- nounced on Sept. 1. e transition will see Stevens and Ciccone Associates rebranded as S&C Tax Advisors. "As our clients' financial lives be- come increasingly complex, thought- ful tax planning has become an essential component of comprehensive wealth management," CEO Kevin Grimes said. "is addition allows us to deepen the resources available to our clients while maintaining the advisor flexibility that's always been central to our approach." In addition to its acquisition of Stevens and Ciccone Associates, Grimes and Co. announced the hiring of Andrew Hamil as chief operating officer. Hamil brings more than two decades of relevant leadership experi- ence to the role, having formerly held trust-related senior leadership roles at Fidelity Investments and Bank of America. Both additions come as Grimes works to establish a bigger national presence in the investment advisory space. e firm announced in February 2025 that Rise Growth Partners, a Texas-based financial firm focused on investing in registered investment advisors, had made an undisclosed investment in Grimes to help fuel its growth. Since that February an- nouncement, Grimes has grown from $5.7 billion in assets under manage- ment to $7 billion. Founded in 1985, Grimes now man- ages assets for about 3,000 households, spanning all 50 states. Principal of Boston-based consulting firm makes $10M donation to Holy Cross e College of the Holy Cross in Worcester has received a $10-mil- lion donation made by an alumnus and former member of the Board of Trustees. Stephen Skinner, a graduate of the class of 1977 and principal at Bos- ton-based management consulting firm Public Consulting Group, made the donation in support of creating three endowed professorships and a new scholarship program, Holy Cross announced. e donation will fund the new en- dowed professorships, with $1 million going toward the new Skinner Family Scholarship. Starting this academic year, College of the Holy Cross economics professor Victor Matheson holds the Dorothea A. and Irwin J. Skinner Professorship in Economics in recognition of his scholarship, teaching and service, according to the announcement. e two other endowed profes- sorships will be the Skinner Family Professorship and the Elizabeth Ann and John C. Savage Professorship. Skinner's latest donation follows a 2023 gi in honor of his late wife to establish the Nancy Savage Skinner '79 Fund for Experiential and Integrative Learning in the Creative, Performing, and Liberal Arts. Public Consulting Group assists state and local governments with op- erations, financial management, and finding technology solutions, accord- ing to the firm's website. Skinner first joined PCG in 1987, according to his LinkedIn profile. Holy Cross is the fourth-largest college/university in Central Massa- chusetts, with 3,084 full-time students as of fall 2025, according to informa- tion provided to the WBJ Research Department. Aspen Aerogels, Solmetex sites sold in $36.4M deal California-based Berkeley Partners has expanded its presence in Central Armsby Abbey on Main Street PHOTO | COURTESY OF ARMSBY ABBEY AI in the workplace As artificial intelligence becomes part of the workplace, businesses are developing different approaches to how employees can use the technology. Some companies have adopted detailed policies governing AI use, while others take a more flexible approach. Does your business have strict guardrails on the use of artificial intelligence? 46% Yes 54% No continues on page 8

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