Hospitality

The Worcester metro area benefits in part by relying less on tourism or major conventions, two areas crippled during the pandemic. That's helped it exceed national hotel occupancy averages, even as numbers have declined sharply locally.

Caterers who survived 2020 are expecting a far better 2021, between rescheduled events, a demand for weddings and other family gatherings, and a widely expected return to some sort of post-pandemic normalcy by around the middle of the year.

Golf needed a boost, and the pandemic gave it to a sport that lends itself well to social distancing. Now courses are working to keep the golfers playing all those extra rounds.

Two business leaders in Dudley have teamed up to request the town’s permission to build and operate eight 6,500-square-foot cannabis cultivation greenhouses on a parcel of land near the Quinebaug River Reservoir. 

The City of Worcester is implementing a multi-phased parking improvement plan aimed at making parking easier, beginning with the Canal District, the City announced Monday.

Cloud Creamery LLC, a manufacturer of cannabis-infused frozen desserts in Framingham, has received its final license from the state’s Cannabis Control Commission, the company announced on social media last week.

The Farmer's Daughter, an Easton restaurant emphasizing its locally sourced food, has opened a second location at Sudbury's Meadow Walk retail and residential development.

A minor league baseball team. A mid-level professional hockey club. A top-50 theater worldwide that can seat about 2,300. Nine institutions of higher education. Myriad breweries. A well-established cultural scene.

The Daniel brothers, and their head brewer Jonas Noble, spoke with WBJ about why the more rural parts of Massachusetts have proven a good place to do business, expansion in the time of coronavirus, as well as the return of their pre-packaged beer options.

One of Worcester's most renowned restaurants will soon be back. Armsby Abbey, a popular restaurant and bar on Main Street on the northern edge of downtown, announced on social media late Monday night it plans to reopen in April.