At 770 Water Street, a coffee counter sits behind the front windows, with framed photos of lighthouses and beaches already on the walls. A few doors down, a card shop is open until 8 every night. In the same building, a craft beer bar has been pouring since spring. For most of this decade, the Nobscot corner was a demolition site, then a construction site, then a row of storefronts with nothing inside.
Each tenant arrived on its own schedule this year. Taken together, they say something about where north Framingham sits on the map. Two of the three businesses at Nobscot Village picked this corner as their first location in Massachusetts or in Greater Boston. They didn't choose Shoppers World or a Route 9 pad site. They chose the village.
The corner took longer than anyone planned
The old Nobscot Plaza sold in December 2021 for $11.6 million to Framingham Nobscot LLC, as the MetroWest Daily News reported then. The plan called for two mixed-use buildings with about 10,000 square feet of retail and at least 150 apartments. Later project materials put the count at 158.
The schedule kept slipping after that:
- April 2022. Framingham SOURCE reported that the developer planned demolition for May and construction for the fall, and expected building to take 18 to 20 months.
- Late 2024. This was the delivery target on the developer's project page, and the page still shows it.
- Late 2025. The residential building, now marketed as Fox Howe, gave this as the date for ground-floor retail.
- March 30, 2026. The first tenant opened its doors.
The retail is now fully leased, and the leasing materials name three anchors. All three are new to Framingham.
The Brass Tap went first, and it's the brand's first in the state
Framingham District 2 reported the Brass Tap's soft opening on March 30, 2026, with regular hours starting April 1. The bar is at 770 Water St., Suite 4. Its location page lists more than 60 beers, plus cocktails, wine, shareable food, trivia, music and sports on the screens. According to the same District 2 report, the menu runs to wings, appetizers, salads, burgers, pizza and tacos.
The bigger point is where it landed. 1851 Franchise called the Framingham location the brand's first restaurant in Massachusetts and named franchisee Aniruddh "Anir" Patel as the person leading it. The brand's first address in the state is a ground-floor space in a village building with apartments upstairs.
Monmouth Cards is open every day until 8
The second storefront is a hobby shop. Monmouth Cards' Framingham page lists the store as open at 770 Water St., 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. It bills itself as a full-service card shop. That means sports cards, Pokémon and other trading card games, sealed product, singles, graded cards, and PSA submissions for collectors who want cards professionally graded.
With the card shop open into the evening and the bar next door running trivia, the corner now has reasons to stop by after dinner, not just on the way to somewhere else.
Cape Cod Coffee is almost open
The third tenant is still finishing its space. Mashpee-based Cape Cod Coffee announced its sixth location at 770 Water St. back in April. What Now Boston reported that it would be the company's first café in Greater Boston, and that the company had already pulled a building permit. The roaster was founded in 1970. It buys from growers in 12 countries and sells Fair Trade and Rainforest Alliance-certified blends.
The opening date has moved more than once. The April report targeted August. The company's locations page later said early October, and it still lists Framingham as coming soon. On Oct. 16, a company representative told Framingham District 2 that the dining room needed changes because "it wasn't up to our standards. We're wanting to make sure it's perfect."
By Oct. 22, District 2 got a look inside. The tables were in and the pictures were up, and the blog was told the café might open the following week once the general contractor finished a few details. If it hasn't opened by the time you read this, it should be close. Check the company's page before you go.
Each Cape Cod Coffee location has its own food menu. They range from pastries, light bites and salads to sandwiches, wraps, burgers, wings and pizza. The coffee side covers the usual lattes, cappuccinos and chai, plus smoothies. Framingham's exact food menu hasn't been announced.
The same month, the big plazas got their own arrivals
The rest of north Framingham shows why Nobscot's tenant list stands out. Two newcomers this month went where you'd expect a regional brand to go.
NAYA at Shoppers World. This Lebanese fast-casual counter opened at 1 Worcester Road around Oct. 16, according to Framingham District 2. You build your own roll, bowl or salad, and there are mezze like tabbouleh, grape leaves, falafel and spinach fatayer. What Now Boston put a typical meal with a drink at about $18. A company representative explained the site choice to the outlet with the Golden Triangle's mix of homes, offices and shopping, a good fit for families, office workers and catering orders. NAYA has more than 40 locations in five East Coast states.
District 2 asked founder Hady Kfoury how NAYA fits in a city that already has Mediterranean Turkish Cuisine at 969 Concord St. and Kous Kous on Hollis Street. He told the blog, "I think there's room for all of us, and I'm glad Framingham has places that celebrate this food."
Halal Eatz at the Route 30 Mall. Framingham's Board of License Commissioners approved a food-service license for 341 Cochituate Road, next to NY Bagel Factory, in a 4–0 vote. What Now Boston reported that the applicants asked to stay open until 3 a.m. so they could serve a suhoor menu during Ramadan. The board set a 2 a.m. closing time year-round instead, since Ramadan lasts only about a month. Commissioners suggested applying in late December 2026 or early January 2027 for a temporary later closing during the holiday. The same report, citing a Framingham Unfiltered post, describes the Framingham location as the chain's larger flagship. It takes in part of the former Boston Market space and will have 55 seats, an expanded menu and specialty drinks. There's no opening date yet.
Both of those went into established shopping plazas on Route 9 and Route 30. Nobscot's corner has about 10,000 square feet of retail with 158 apartments over the shops, and two brands chose it for their first location in a new market.
A Nobscot evening, as of this week
- Before 8 p.m. Monmouth Cards is open daily from 10 to 8.
- Dinner and trivia. The Brass Tap, Suite 4, has pub food, more than 60 beers, and trivia and music nights. Its location page has the current schedule.
- Morning coffee. Cape Cod Coffee was expected to open within about a week of Oct. 22. Confirm before you go.
At Darlene & Company, we follow new openings at 770 Water Street and across north Framingham. If you live near Nobscot and want to know what the new activity on Water Street means for your home, get your free home valuation and move plan, and we'll walk you through it street by street.
