West Roxbury Centre Street Restaurants: New Openings and Licenses

"Each of these approvals represents a business that identified a need in its neighborhood."

Kathleen Joyce, chair of the Boston Licensing Board, said that in March 2026 when the city announced a new batch of liquor licenses. One of those approvals went to Maria's Kitchen at 1829 Centre St. Six months later, on September 3, the board approved another one a few blocks up the street, for Klin Thai at 1894 Centre St. In the same weeks, the board also approved the sale of Blanchard's at Lagrange and Centre streets.

So this fall, the biggest changes on West Roxbury's main street went through a hearing room at City Hall before anyone saw them on the block. Together they show what now stays on Centre Street when the business on the sign changes.

One address, five restaurants

Few storefronts in West Roxbury have changed hands as often as 1894 Centre St. Universal Hub has tracked it since 2009.

Patcharin Jeesom took over the space in the fall of 2025. The Licensing Board approved the Thai-to-Thai changeover that August, and her plans called for hours from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. with seating for 16. Universal Hub noted at the time that the takeover kept West Roxbury at three times as many Thai restaurants as Roslindale.

The detail that ties this address to this fall's news came earlier. On June 26, 2025, the board gave Somtum a beer-and-wine license. A few months later, Klin was moving into the space. In September 2026, Klin got its own beer, wine and cordials license. Universal Hub described it as one of the board's 02132-specific licenses. The reports don't say whether Klin received the same license Somtum had or a separate one. Either way, the room at 1894 Centre St. can serve a glass of wine with dinner again.

Why a 02132 license stays in West Roxbury

The rules behind this come from a 2024 state law. It gave Boston 15 neighborhood-restricted licenses for each of 13 ZIP codes, and 02132 is one of them. According to Universal Hub, the goal was to help restaurant owners in neighborhoods outside the Seaport, downtown, Back Bay and the North End. These licenses can't be resold, and they go back to the city if the business that holds them closes.

Two numbers show why that matters. In April 2025, Maya Mukhopadhaya, owner of Jadu, told Boston.com that even an "affordable" $600,000 license "doesn't make financial sense for a small business." Klin has 16 seats. A room that small would struggle to pay for a license priced like a downtown asset. A license that can't be sold has no resale value to recover, and that keeps it within reach of a small Centre Street restaurant.

Here is how the 02132 licenses have been handed out so far, based on published approvals:

1. June 26, 2025: Somtum Modern Thai Cuisine, 1894 Centre St., beer and wine.
2. March 2026: Maria's Kitchen, 1829 Centre St., beer and wine, listed in the city's March 9 announcement.
3. September 3, 2026: Klin Thai, 1894 Centre St., beer, wine and cordials.

That is three approvals out of an allocation of 15, and two of them went to the same address. The city said in March 2026 that "additional licenses remain available in 2026," but it hasn't published how many 02132 licenses are left.

Klin also joins an existing pattern on the street. Phuket, a block down Centre, has had a beer-and-wine license for a long time. Thai Spice, the street's third Thai restaurant, is mainly takeout and has one table.

Another change may follow. A provision in the Fiscal Year 2026 state budget lets cities allow beer-and-wine licensees to trade up to a non-transferable all-alcohol license. The Boston City Council adopted it, and the Licensing Board voted on final rules on January 8. The first upgrades the city announced went to restaurants in Brighton, Downtown, the North End and the Theater District. None of those were in West Roxbury.

Blanchard's gets a new owner but keeps its manager

A few blocks down the street, at 418 Lagrange St., a much older business went through the same board for a different reason. The Elder and Corey family has owned the West Roxbury Blanchard's since the 1960s. The Blanchard's name goes back to 1838, when the first store opened in Scollay Square.

On September 24, the Licensing Board approved the sale to Bhavin Patel, who plans to rename the store Kappy's Fine Wine & Spirits. At the hearing the day before, Patel's attorney, Jackson Christian, said the store would be run much as it has been for decades, apart from the new name. Michael Pignone, who runs the store now and has worked there for the family since 1999, will stay on as manager.

Patel has also filed to buy the Revere Blanchard's, according to Secretary of State records Universal Hub reviewed. Other Blanchard's stores, including the ones in Jamaica Plain and Allston, weren't part of the West Roxbury filing. No date for the name change has been reported. Christian also didn't say whether the big white letters spelling "BLANCHARD'S" on the Lagrange Street side of the building will change to "KAPPY'S."

For regular customers, what stays the same is the person behind the counter. The 02132 restaurant licenses keep the right to serve alcohol in the neighborhood. At Blanchard's, the continuity comes from a manager with more than 25 years in the store.

Next door to Bánh Mì Ơi, the most yellow room on the street

The one big opening this fall involved no license hearing in the reporting, though the same thing holds true. Yeanie's opened on September 20 at 1761 Centre St. in the space where Christo's used to be. Universal Hub called it "the neighborhood's newest, and most yellow, eatery," complete with a jukebox and swivel seats.

The owners aren't new to the block. Yeanie Bach and her husband, Phi Pham, already run Bánh Mì Ơi next door, and they took over the Christo's space themselves. Boston.com counts this as their seventh restaurant. It opened after long delays and serves the same menu as the retro Yeanie's in Dorchester, which opened in early 2025. That means smash Angus burgers on brioche buns, fried chicken sandwiches, extra-crispy fries and classic shakes.

Pham lives in West Roxbury. In a video that went viral this summer, he said, "The only thing that keeps me going right now is the difference that we're making in our neighborhood[s]."

So Christo's has a new sign, but the people running it already had a storefront on this stretch of Centre Street.

What's still pending on Centre Street

Two changes haven't fully happened yet.

• Centre Squeeze, 1785 Centre St. Owner Yianni Gerasimidis announced a juice and Greek iced coffee shop in January 2026. A city licensing notice listed a 474-square-foot takeout space, with requested hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and a hearing on March 4, 2026. The shop's website now has an online ordering link and a drinks menu, but no local outlet has reported an opening date.
• Blanchard's to Kappy's, 418 Lagrange St. The sale is approved. No timing has been announced for the new name or the sign.

Whatever comes next will probably go through the same board. More 02132 licenses are still available, the restaurants that hold them can't sell them, and any license that goes unused goes back to the city and stays reserved for this ZIP code. For more on what's around the corridor, our West Roxbury neighborhood guide and our look at parks and playgrounds in West Roxbury cover the blocks off Centre Street.

We follow Centre Street because the businesses on it are part of what makes a West Roxbury address worth having. If you're curious how this stretch of the neighborhood shows up in your home's value, the Condon Droney Team can help. Get Your Instant Home Valuation and we'll walk you through what it means for your street.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.