Hospitality

Worcester Business Journal spoke to Democratic candidates for governor Sonia Chang-Díaz and Maura Healey ahead of the party's convention in Worcester, to ask about their stances on the state’s economic issues, particularly how they pertain to Central Massachusetts.

Trivia question: What kitchen task was this device invented by the Hamblin & Russell Manufacturing Co. used for?

For the first time since rewriting the voter-approved legalization law in the summer of 2017, Massachusetts lawmakers are poised this session to reform state cannabis policy as the House and Senate have each now approved legislation targeting some of the most persistent issues in the young industry.

A pub-style restaurant and bar called 107 Tap has been approved to open on Water Street in Worcester, run by Jefferson Mararian, who owned another Water Street bar for 12 years.

Worcester restaurant Livia’s Dish has been sold to new owners, former owner Oriola Koci confirmed Wednesday.

Spencer Trappist Brewery, the only Trappist brewery located in the United States, announced it was ceasing operations via a Facebook post on Saturday.

A 109-room hotel property in Westborough sold for just over $7.2 million in a deal closed Friday, according to the Worcester South District Registry of Deeds.

Park Grill & Spirits, a bar and restaurant on Park Avenue in Worcester, will soon be under new ownership, according to a Saturday announcement from the current owners on social media.

The property of the former Mac’s Diner on Worcester’s Shrewsbury Street has been sold to a Leicester restaurateur, according to the Worcester South District Registry of Deeds.

Overall, more than 20,000 PPP loans for a total of $1.8 billion were given out to businesses across Worcester County, with more than 4,800 and $450 million of those loans going to businesses within the city of Worcester, according to data from the SBA.