A welcome change is the increase in much-needed parking spaces, but Papa Razzi didn’t pull that asphalt real estate out of thin air. Looking like a transplanted divine patroness of an Italianate garden, she survived the construction bustle to continue her reign over the front end of the restaurant, there to remind customers that some things are permanent. The restaurant has undergone many changes, but the life-sized classical stone statue the staff says everyone calls “Spring” remains. Antipasti dishes range in price from $5.99 to $10.99, soups and salads from $4.99 to $10.25, panani from $8.99 to $13.99, signature pizzas from $8.75 to $9.99, signature pasta dishes from $9.99 to $16.99 and entrees from $11.99 to $23.99.I walked into the newly renovated Wellesley Hills Papa Razzi at summer’s end and was greeted by Spring. The menu will be similar to other Papa Razzis, according to Dalton.

The new Papa Razzi will have a seating capacity of 254 and feature a private dining room that can accommodate 50 to 60 people. The company made its first public offering in 1992 and went private again in 1999. In addition to Papa Razzi, Bay Bay's stable of restaurants includes Abe & Louie's, Atlantic Fish, Bouchee, Charley's Eating and Drinking Saloon, Coach Grill and Joe's American Bar & Grill. In Massachusetts, Bennigan's has restaurants in Boston, Lenox and Peabody. The first Papa Razzi opened in Boston in 1990. Others are situated in New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Washington D.C. Most are based in Massachusetts, including locations in Concord and Wellesley. 'Certainly in a market with a density such as this, there's plenty to go around, and the good operators will always do well.''įounded by Charles Sarkis in 1963, Back Bay owns and operates 16 Papa Razzi restaurants. We feel if you have a good location, and within the four walls you control what you can, and that's the quality of the food and the service, you'll get more than your share of the market,'' Dalton said. 9 in Natick and Tomasso Trattoria on Rte. Others nearby include the Olive Garden at Shoppers World in Framingham, Vinny T's of Boston on Rte. Papa Razzi won't be the only Italian restaurant on the block. Unlike a lot of these national chains who rely on huge walk-in freezers, we don't. 'People were asking at the meeting, 'You reduced the kitchen area.

One of things we pride ourselves on is there's no such thing in a Papa Razzi as a microwave oven. The eatery's original decor featured black-and-white photographs of celebrities.ĭalton describes the restaurant as 'an Italian concept based on original recipes and all fresh food. Papa Razzi gets its name from the Italian word 'paparazzi,'' referring to celebrity photographers. 'It was a market-term lease,'' said Dalton without revealing the dollar amount. They were missing their frequent trips to Papa Razzi in Boston.''īack Bay signed a long-term lease with Maric. They asked the local broker, 'Why don't you reach out to Back Bay to see if they're interested in the site. They were located basically across the street from the Boston Papa Razzi and had since relocated to Needham. 'Another thing that drove us to this location was the landlord, Maric Inc., sought us out. 9, you pass them by on the opposite side and you might have to go down a mile to turn to get to them. 9 and being at an intersection where people can turn around. 'We just felt that this was a great location - being right on Rte. 'His question was, 'What took you so long to come to Framingham?' I said, 'It's a town we've been looking at for a long, long time.' 'At the selectmen's meeting, one of the selectman asked if I could go to the podium,'' said Dalton, referring to Selectman Jason Smith. Several reasons factored into the restaurant group's decision to open a Papa Razzi in Framingham, according to Dalton.

It will be a significant improvement over what's there now.''īack Bay intends to spend $2.3 million on the restaurant's renovation. 'Provided we get approval from the town, we have great plans for the facade.

Paparazzi wellesley