Hospitality

Last year, people took 433 million fewer trips to restaurants than in the prior year. That 2-percent decline led to an estimated $3.2 billion in lost sales.

Fafard Real Estate, which owns the Quarry Square Shopping Center in Milford, is asking the public for input on possible new anchors to fill 135,000 square feet of retail space.

After crossing the $1 billion mark in fiscal 2017, State Lottery profits will likely dip below that in the near future, Treasurer Deb Goldberg told lawmakers.

Allowing adults to purchase and use marijuana at some retail facilities -- think cannabis clubs -- could reduce the risk of children getting a hold of the drug and may limit how much legal marijuana is illegally transported out of state by visitors, a Cannabis Advisory Board subcommittee recommended Tuesday.

If approved at Town Meeting next week, Hopedale would break from the practice of its neighbors and allow retail marijuana shops to open in just certain areas of town.

Worcester restaurant group Niche Hospitality will open Nonna's Pizza and Pasta on Thursday afternoon inside the new Worcester Ice Center.

The Worcester Economic Development Committee has endorsed city regulations to limit the number of retail marijuana shops in the city to 15 and adopt a 3-percent sales tax on the products.

New Hampshire hotelier Colwen Hotels, which will operate the AC Hotel scheduled to open on Front Street in Worcester next year, has named Andrew Dunn as general manager for the location.

A bill the House passed last Wednesday would let pub brewers sell bottles for off-premises consumption on Sundays and holidays.

The 475,000-square-foot Apex Center of New England has begun opening on Route 20 in Marlborough this week, with about two dozen tenants set to open in all. (With slideshow.)