Worcester Business Journal

The Sole decision Why The Sole Proprietor decided not to move downtown amid Worcester's culinary renaissance BY LAURA FINALDI Worcester Business Journal Staff Writer F or almost 38 years, The Sole Proprietor has operated along a busy stretch of Highland Street, close to Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Elm Park. But last year, owners Robb and Madeleine Ahlquist received an interesting offer from the Mercantile Center. As the Ahlquists tell it, the developers of the down- town property approached them about bringing a new or existing restaurant to the future office-retail space. "They were interested in getting local operators into the space," Robb Ahlquist said. "So they came to us and said, 'We've got space. Are you interested in coming down?'" The couple – who also own and operate VIA Italian Table and 111 Chop House on Shrewsbury Street through their Worcester Restaurant Group – had a lot to think about. The building housing the Sole needed renovations, and with the other two res- taurants closer to downtown, a move from Highland Street could be a good opportunity to be a part of new downtown development. A true revitalization? The Ahlquists knew – from four-decades of expe- rience in Worcester – to be skeptical about any talk of downtown redevelopment, although this develop- ment wave seemed different than those in years past. "This seems like the best chance we've seen in our time operating businesses in Worcester where this really stands a chance to succeed," Robb Ahlquist said. "After you've been here so long, you want to participate in the excitement." More than $2 billion is being invested in devel- opment across Worcester, including the 642,300-square-foot Mercantile Center, and several hotels, like the 168-room AC Hotel by Marriott. In the Canal District, Worcester Railers Hockey Club Owner Cliff Rucker is constructing a 100,000-square-foot hockey facility with 40,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space. This development had created optimism about Worcester's future, making it an attractive place for restaurateurs, said Christina Andreoli, president of tourism council Discover Central Massachusetts. "Once you see the cranes and the buildings com- ing up, you start to see the reality of what the city has been doing for the last 10 years," Andreoli said. Worcester's new food scene Today, chefs in Worcester serve everything from strawberry, mascarpone, toasted almond and orange zest crepes at Lock 50; to braised brisket Through their company Worcester Restaurant Group, Robb & Madeleine Ahlquist helped establish the groundwork of the Worcester restaurant industry, first on Highland Street and then on Shrewsbury Street. P H O T O / N A T H A N F I S K E wbjournal.com | January 23, 2017 | Worcester Business Journal 9

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