Two restaurants approved to move into Union Station

Photo | Grant Welker Union Station in Worcester.

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By Katherine Hamilton

The Worcester Redevelopment Authority on Friday morning approved two new lease agreements for restaurants to move into Union Station.

A 100-square-foot cafe space was up for grabs after the previous tenant shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, Peter Dunn, Worcester chief development officer, said in the meeting.

The WRA received four applications for the space, and chose Deborah Martin, owner of Shabby Gourmet Juices and Fruits. The juice restaurant has previously operated as a food truck.

The space's rent is $300 per month with a three-year term, Dunn said.

The second lease agreement is with 961 Restaurants LLC, a Middle Eastern and Lebanese full-service restaurant offering night-time entertainment. Two of the partners involved are Worcester residents, one of whom is an entertainer, said Dunn.

The corporation is registered to Marwan Zogheib and Michel Rmieh. Rmieh is a singer and participated in a Lebanese singing competition TV program in 2009.

Other partners mentioned by Dunn include a Worcester Polytechnic Institute graduate who works at Amazon Robotics and a local chef who has worked at Boulevard Diner and Le Mirage Cafe in Worcester.

The 6,000-square-foot space is in pretty rough shape, Dunn said, but the group plans to invest more than $500,000.

The rent will be $16 per square foot with a five-year term. The lease is expected to commence in February, with rent payments beginning six months later.