Plans for &pizza to Open in Harvard Square Fall Through

Earlier this year, we reported that a Washington, D.C.-based pizza chain was hoping to come to Cambridge's Harvard Square, though those plans soon appeared to be in jeopardy. Now we have learned that plans for the place to open in Harvard Square have officially been taken off the table.

According to an article from Eater Boston, plans for &pizza to open in the former Tory Row/Crimson Corner space by the corner of Mass. Ave. and Brattle Street have fallen through, with CEO Michael Lastoria saying that "Last week's hearing was one step in a longer journey; we sincerely appreciate the opinions expressed and the opportunity to continue a dialogue with the Board of Zoning Appeal (BZA)....Through this process, we have gotten to really know and love Boston and the Cambridge community and look forward to the day we can open our doors." In the note, Lastoria also hints that they still consider Harvard Square to be a good fit for the pizzeria, though for now, it does not appear that any new plans have been put into place to try to open a location in another section of the square--or anywhere else in the Boston area. (If we hear otherwise, we will post an update here.)

&pizza quickly ran into a roadblock after its plans were announced in January, with Cambridge Day saying that the Cambridge Historical Commission rejected giving it a certificate of appropriateness because they felt it was "inappropriate to the district and incongruous to its setting" while the article also mentioned that in order to receive a fast food permit, the city zoning board would need to make sure that "the establishment fulfills a need for such a service in the neighborhood" and that its proposed use would not "impair the integrity of the district."

While Tory Row restaurant is closed for good, the Crimson Corner newsstand remains in operation in a new space at 35 Brattle Street.

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&pizza Plans to Open in Tory Row, Crimson Corner Spaces in Cambridge's Harvard Square

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