Debate Rages Over Minimum Wage Bid

Image: President Barack Obama Official Photo

BOSTON – President Barack Obama’s call to raise the federal minimum wage, combined with a proposed Massachusetts bill to raise the state minimum wage has spurred a debate among legislators and business groups over the impact of such increases. “If you boost the income of people who are poorly paid,

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The Unsettled and Unsettling Future of Independent Bookstores

BOSTON – It’s a crisp Friday afternoon in April, and the empty lot next to the Brattle Book Shop is bustling. Families, tourists, and students drift from shelf to shelf, thumbing through classics and filling their arms with mounds of used books. …

Small Businesses in Downtown Boston Survive Economic Downturn

BOSTON —Despite empty storefronts on Washington Street, some small retailers in Downtown Boston have survived the Great Recession that caused many neighboring big businesses to close. “We’re a small specialty store that isn’t as subject …

Allston Furniture Store to Close

ALLSTON — As the busiest season of the year comes to a close for the furniture stores that line Allston Village, one in particular will close its doors for good at the end of this month. Due to a 100% increase in rent expense and lingering economic woes, College Furniture & Rug will end its 25-year stint at 137 Harvard Avenue, according to owner, Sal Barone, 59.

Beacon Hill Shops Weather Downturn

BEACON HILL — With its eclectic mixture of old, family run businesses and up-and-coming boutique stores, Charles Street is seeing steady retail growth even in what most hope is the tail end of a tough economy. Crush, an upscale women’s …

South Boston Getting Another Starbucks

SOUTH BOSTON — Southie is like an aging movie star: She was once vibrant and beloved, but people moved on. To rekindle her popularity, she’s going in for a facelift, but loyal fans are uneasy about sacrificing authenticity just to fit in. On the west side, near the Broadway T stop, construction continues on a six-story commercial and residential development by Bodwell Pines Corp. at 11 West Broadway. But it’s not the 50 upscale apartments going in causing a stir in the neighborhood — it’s the three ground floor retail units.