Two restaurants have joined a flurry of 2023 restaurant openings on Fitchburg’s Main Street. The summer also saw one restaurant on the strip close.
The Pauper’s Pantry at 695 Main St. held a grand opening on Aug. 1, featuring twists on comfort food like grilled cheese. The restaurant was founded as part of The Finicky Fork Catering Co. of Fitchburg.
The restaurant is on a block which Fitchburg State University is redeveloping by building a new black box theater and bringing back to life a long-vacant proscenium theater. The university already renovated part of the block for its Game Development Lab and offices for local nonprofit InTown Fitchburg.
A few blocks away, at 423 Main St. Victor Vicioso-Frias opened Mamajuana Restaurant. The restaurant, offering Latin American food, is holding a grand opening today.
The summer hasn’t been all openings. A Jamaican restaurant, Kingston Island Cuisine at 480 Main St., closed quietly.
It is an active time for Downtown Fitchburg.
In the spring, two more restaurants, Dario’s Ristorante and Rise & Grind Cafe opened along Main St.
Further down Main Street near Moran Square, the Worcester Regional Food Hub anticipates opening a new facility in October featuring prepared food and groceries from local food startups, as well as commercial kitchens for entrepreneurs. In the same building New Hampshire-based Identity Coffee Lab will be opening a location.
