Roche Bros.' Brothers Marketplace to open in Waltham

WALTHAM, MA — The Merc just got another tenant, and downtown Waltham is about to get a grocery store.
"Brothers' Marketplace really are the quintessential neighborhood market. It's a great shopping experience. There's a lot of local and farm to table products, prepared food and meats all presented nicely." said Peter Standish head of development at Northland Investment, which built the Merc and signed the grocer just within the past two weeks.

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With Roche Bros. set to open their Brothers Marketplace in the Spring, and the apartment complex at full occupancy, that leaves just two more retail spaces in the Merc complex to fill, according Standish.
"We're in discussions with different realtors," he said, but aside from the two banks and the grocery store, that's it for now.

Brothers Pat and Bud Roche founded Roche Bros. Supermarkets in 1952. Brothers Marketplace is a next-generation spinoff, by Pat’s sons and current owners Rick and Ed Roche.

The Roche brothers have opened two other marketplaces, which are a smaller version of their massive grocery stores and more specialty focused than the kind you might find in West Roxbury. The Waltham Brothers Marketplace will be even a bit smaller than the company's Weston and Medfield supermarkets.

Waltham should expect prepared foods made in-store, baked goods, seasonal and exotic produce, fresh local seafood, antibiotic and hormone free meats, local and international cheeses, and packaged foods from local producers — and Iggy's Bread, according to a press release. There will be grab-and-go items as well as seating.

“Waltham is a growing community and we hope our neighborhood market becomes a favorite grocery and dining experience for area residents and businesses," said Rick Roche in a press release.

Brothers Marketplace is set to move into the 12,000 square foot ground floor space that sits at the corner of Moody and Main, directly across from the Common and Cafe on the Common.

While the city tweeted out a welcome to the store, at least one area business owner is less than pleased.
"It's going to hurt me, definitely because they are big and their prices are cheaper," said Anver Shaikh who opened Waltham Smoke and Convenience at 699 Main Street in December of 2015.

Waltham Smoke Shop is caddie corner to the space where Brothers Marketplace will open. The owner told Patch his business was just starting to pick up with the new tenants moving into the 269-unit apartment building across the street, though it's not exactly making money just yet.

"I don't know what to do. There's nothing I can do," he said, indicating he'd already talked to the members of the Board of Selectmen about his concerns.
He worries that folks coming to the grocery store will take the parking in front of his shop.

"Where are they going to park?" he said.
But Standish said he didn't think that would be an issue. Tenants have 300 spaces in the garage beneath the Merc, and visitors can park behind the two banks in the surface parking lot which holds 92 cars.

"It's a great amenity for our tenants and a great amenity for downtown Waltham. It adds to that urban feel right in the heart of downtown Waltham," he said.

Photos by Jenna Fisher/ Waltham Patch. Renderings courtesy Brothers Market via their Public Relations person.