Video: Village Green Renewal Champions Local Craftsmen Collaborative

Phillip's TV moved into Village Green Renewal's shop.

There’s an empty storefront on the corner of Harvard Street and Aspinwall Avenue where Philip’s TV & Stereo used to be. Last October, Brookline Patch reported that Philip’s had merged with Village Green Renewal at 6 Davis Avenue.  Seth Barrett, founder and owner of Village Green Renewal, said that many local craftsmen work within a word-of-mouth network. “I’m not looking to compete with local craftsmen. I grew up here, so did a lot of them,” Barrett said. “It’s pretty rewarding to point somebody towards just the right business and know that the people there will be kind and courteous and respectful and it’s going to be a good experience for them.“ Village Green Renewal will fix anything from iPods to restaurant furniture, lamps, dolls, …

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Tell Us About Your Valentine's Day Specials in Brookline

Restaurant and business owners: share your Valentines Day specials on Brookline Patch.

Valentine's Day is fast approaching. Flowers are being ordered, presents being wrapped, and restaurant reservations booked.  Here at Brookline Patch, we want to help local business owners get the word out about Valentine's Day specials and promotions.  Maybe you're offering a discount on Valentine's Day items, or featuring a special menu for a romantic dinner. Or, perhaps your on the other end of the spectrum--hosting an anti-Valentine's Day party.  Either way, let us know what you're doing to celebrate Valentine's Day in the comments, and we'll feature your business in our roundup later this week. 

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Shaw's, Star Market Announce Job Cuts

Sources say 700 jobs are cut across a number of stores in New England.

Shaw's and Star Market are planning to make some cuts to their workforce in New England. The supermarket chains owned by Supervalu, Inc. are cutting 700 positions across 169 stores, according to an AP story on the Huffington Post. This follows a second-quarter loss for the company, which fired its CEO in July. See the full AP story on Huffington Post. About 90 of the employees have been informed of the decision, and a press release picked up on Daily Finance indicates the rest will be notified over the next several days. The company announced that the layoffs do not "impact Shaw's overall commitment to the communities it serves." See the full press release on Daily Finance.  At this time, sources do not indicate how these cuts specifically…

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Philip's TV Moving in with Village Green Renewal

Owners hope to expand some services and tweak others, while two long-standing Brookline Village businesses merge.

  Two local businesses are coming together to be a one-stop shop for repairing everything from rocking chairs to iPods. Village Green Renewal, run by Seth Barrett, is now hosting the man at the helm of Philip's TV & Stereo, Allen MacPherson, better known as "Red"--and will be expanding some of their services with MacPherson's expertise. The two sat down with Patch to talk about their merging busineses.  Village Green already repairs just about anything from chairs to lamps to bikes--and now includes televisions and other electronics. Carrying on the tradition of Phil Waldman--the Philip in Philip's TV--who started MacPherson working at the TV shop out of the Navy. MacPherson has been with Philip's TV since 1969.  "Red is a community …

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Brookline Businesses Go Local First, Local First Goes Online

Brookline Local First, an organization which encourages shoppers to buy from local businesses, launched its new website late last week.

If you're going to go shopping, a recently-launched website wants you to consider shopping Local First. Brookline Local First is a local chapter of a larger movement, which encourages shoppers to buy from local businesses over larger ones. The group launched a new website on Friday, which includes information on how businesses can join the group, where you can buy locally, and what some of the benefits of shopping locally are.  Clear Flour Bread, Eureka Puzzles and Tiny Hanger are just a few of the businesses who will soon sport the Brookline Local First sticker.   See the website for the full list of member businesses, broken into Retail, Food and Services.  Local First is also on Facebook and Twitter.  To celebrate the launch of the site…

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Upper Crust Tried to Scheme Workers Out Of Overtime Wages

Upper Crust has locations in Waltham, Brookline, West Roxbury, Lexington, Beacon Hill, Wellesley and Watertown.

Despite being ordered to pay employees previously unpaid overtime, Upper Crust instead attempted to get the money back through illegal means, according to the Boston Globe. The firm, which is embroiled in an internal dispute, allegedly cashed forged checks and cut workers’ pay to recoup $350,000 the federal Department of Labor ordered they pay workers in overtime, according to the Globe. Upper Crust has locations in Waltham, Beacon Hill, Brookline, Lexington, South End, Watertown, Wellesley and West Roxbury, according to its website. Earlier this year, the Salem and Beverly Upper Crust locations closed. The revelations are detailed in new court documents filed in Suffolk Superior Court on Friday, June 15 in which the company’s chief …

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Woes Deepen for Coolidge Corner Pizzeria [POLL]

Upper Crust executives and founder engaged in bitter dispute.

Upper Crust’s woes have reached new heights with court filings showing its co-owners claiming each other has used company money for personal gain, according to Boston.com.  The details on the split are revealed in legal documents filed by co-owners Joshua Huggard and Brendan Higgins as well as co-founder Jordan Tobins, according to Boston.com. In April, Tobins was accused of spending money on, among other things, a $700,000 yacht. The company is already under federal investigation for labor violations.  Upper Crust has locations in Waltham, Beacon Hill, Brookline, Lexington, South End, Watertown, Wellesley and West Roxbury, according to its website. Earlier this year, the Salem and Beverly Upper Crust locations closed. As a result of the …

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Bill Davidson

12:00 pm on Thursday, June 14, 2012

Ouch.   more ›

New Scandal Emerges; Do You Still Eat Upper Crust Pizza? [POLL]

In 2010, Upper Crust Pizzeria faced accusations of significant labor violations. Now the chain's founder has been placed on leave after allegations he stole company funds.

One of Upper Crust Pizzeria's founders, Jordan Tobins, has been placed on leave after the other two founders, Josh Huggard and Brendan Higgins, allege he stole money from the company for personal use, according to an article in the Boston Globe.   One thing he might have spent the money on? His $700,000 yacht, which after an attempt to list it on eBay, he is currently barred from selling due to a restraining order that requires him to obtain court approval before transferring any of his personal assets.   The restraining order stems from a lawsuit wherein 5 former employees are suing Upper Crust for labor violations; per the Globe "Upper Crust allegedly relied on low-paid illegal laborers from a small village in Brazil to expand the chain …

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Have a Business in Brookline? Claim Your Listing!

A listing for your business is already on our site. But we want your help to make it better.

When Brookline Patch launched in spring of 2010, editors and freelancers ventured to local businesses in order to collect information for our directory. Now, almost two years later, Patch Places is a spot where users can find descriptions, hours, accepted payment methods, and much more for spots around town. All users can add events taking place at local spots, can rate the business on a scale of one to five stars, and can add a review. But owners of local businesses get extra bonuses when they claim a listing. Owners or managers should search for their business listing and select "claim you listing" in order to make updates to the page. A form will pop up asking for your name, contact information, and proof of ownership. Within a few days…

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Dog kennel could soon sit in old Coolidge Corner Gym spot

The site of the former Coolidge Corner Gym in Brookline may soon go to the dogs.