Worcester Business Journal

www.wbjournal.com • Worcester Business Journal • 2 018 Economic Forecast 17 Food, sports & beer Top hospitality stories of 2017 Central Massachusetts is becoming a cultural hotspot and weekend destination H O S P I TA L I T Y BY ZACHARY COMEAU Worcester Business Journal Staff Writer T his past year was huge for the Worcester restaurant, entertainment and hospitality scene, with exciting announcements and openings. The city has become a culinary and cultural hotspot, and with more res- taurants, breweries and entertainment businesses looking to move to the area. As real estate prices and cost of living continue to price out residents and businesses in Greater Boston, more establishments will come to Worcester. The thriving Worcester culinary scene will carry through 2018 Although some Worcester restau- rants closed this year, like Sweet, The Chameleon and Sweetpea, others took their place or will do so sometime next year. New restaurants have already been announced for the new year, like deadhorse hill's simjang. Front Street and the mutli-phased $564-million City Square development should add yet another destination for eateries, with 110 Grill, which is already operating locations and is planning more in Central Massachusetts, and Protein House slat- ed for opening in 2018. Hanover Theatre's 1920's themed restaurant Josephine's could help liven up the stretch of downtown with yet another great place to eat. Adam Hicks, owner of Milford's Depot Street Tavern, will open a sec- ond location in the Perfect Game's old spot in the Canal District in April. It seems as if a new restaurant announces it's coming to the city near- ly every month, so 2018 should be yet another huge year for the city's food game. Worcester's professional sports teams will thrive It's hard to deny the impact that the Worcester Railers have had on the city. Right off the highway is the Railers Tavern and the $18-million, 110,000-square-foot Worcester Ice Arena – the team's practice facility – is a good sign owner Cliff Rucker intends to keep hockey in Worcester for a long time. At the DCU Center, the Massachusetts Pirates will begin play in the National Arena League at the DCU Center in April. The foot- ball team might have a rough time competing for football fans in New England, but an arena football game in Downtown Worcester could make for a fun Saturday night. In the Canal District, the city is mak- ing headway in relocating the Pawtucket Red Sox to a vacant piece of land in the Canal District. A PawSox move – and inevitably massive contribution from the city and state – would only add to the Canal District's transformation from a college bar hotspot to a booming family-ori- ented restaurant and business neigh- borhood. The Central Massachusetts craft beer scene will continue its rapid growth Craft beer has taken hold in Central Massachusetts. Nearly every area of the region has at least one craft brewery to visit, and more should come. Timber Yard Brewing in East Brookfield has yet to open, as well as Greater Good Imperial Brewing Co., which is planning a facility on Millbrook Street in Worcester. The creativity and collaboration among these small brewers has been incredible to watch and write about, and the industry has settled in nicely with the local business movement, evi- denced by Wormtown Brewery's col- laboration with Dunkin Donuts and Table Talk Pies. Cliff Rucker (From left) Sean Woods, Jared Forman, Bert LaValley, co-owners of deadhorse hill in downtown Worcester, plan to open Korean restaurant simjang on Shrewsbury Street. W Railers sellout first game at DCU Center I n their inaugural game in front of a sellout crowd of 12,135 at the DCU Center, the Worcester Railers defeated the Manchester Monarchs 4-3 on Oct. 14. It was the season opener for the Railers, an ECHL affiliate of the New York Islanders. The Railers scored in the third peri- od to break a 3-3 tie and held on for the win. Anticipation for the Railer's first game has been building since the team was announced by Beverly business- man Cliff Rucker in 2015 and approved by the ECHL in 2016. The team has sold 1,500 season tickets. The first goal in franchise history was scored by Wade Murphy in the first period. Others were scored by team captain Ashton Rome, Patrick McNally and Frankie DiChiara, who scored the game winner. The Railers are the third minor league hockey team to attempt to call Worcester home, following in the foot- steps of the Sharks and IceCats. Since selling out its inaugural game, the Railers have attracted 3,000-5,000 fans on subsequent games, including 5,133 on a special Star Wars night on Dec. 16. TreeHouse Brewing Co. in Charlton regu- larly has hours-long lines for its beer. Continued on Page 18

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