Two of Charles Street's best-known empty storefronts went before the Beacon Hill Architectural Commission on the same Thursday in September. The old Beacon Hill Pub and the old Savenor's Market have both been dark for years, and both left the virtual hearing on Sept. 17 with their new storefronts approved. In the same session the commission approved an awning at the corner of Beacon and Park streets for Childs Gallery, which is moving to the neighborhood.
Every sign, awning and window change in the Historic Beacon Hill District has to go through the BHAC. So the commission's monthly hearing record is the most reliable preview of Charles Street that exists. It names the tenant and shows the facade, usually well before a grand-opening post. This fall, the record shows a street refilling spaces that sat empty for two to four years.
The Docket, Address by Address
| Address | Former tenant | What's next | Latest step on record | Status as of early October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Charles St. | Upper Crust | Willie's | Carved wood sign approved in February | Open since March |
| 115 Charles St. | Retail storefront | Nantasket Sweets By Swedes | Blade sign approved after Aug. 20 hearing | Open as of August |
| 147–149 Charles St. | Beacon Hill Pub, closed 2022 | Harry Hare's | Storefront approved Sept. 17 | November target |
| Former Savenor's space | Savenor's Market, closed June 2024 | Brick Street Bagel | Sign and awning approved Sept. 17 | Still listed as incoming |
| 22 Beacon St. | New to the neighborhood | Childs Gallery | Awning approved Sept. 17 | Opening exhibition planned for fall |
| 143 Charles St. | Charles Street Liquors | None named in January coverage | Building listed for sale in January | No update found |
What the Sept. 17 Hearing Says About Harry Hare's
The Boston Globe reported in July that veteran Boston restaurateur Patrick Lyons will turn the former Beacon Hill Pub into Harry Hare's, a British-inspired restaurant and pub. The Globe called the pub one of the neighborhood's most recognizable barrooms, and it officially closed in 2022. Eater Boston's fall preview, published Sept. 8, lists the opening as November. The menu includes fish and chips, chicken pot pie and roasts, plus dishes that reference the Indian diaspora in Britain, such as chicken tikka masala and tandoori-fired naan.
The menu tells you what Harry Hare's will serve. The hearing tells you what 147–149 Charles St. will look like. Project architect David Freed described these changes:
- A new wood band sign with the name in carved lettering, lit from overhead
- Storefront windows replaced with operable, "fully swinging" windows
- New cedar window boxes
- The storefront reclad over a granite base
- Two of the three front doors turned into windows
- A menu display to the left of the remaining door
Chair Mark Kiefer moved to approve with conditions, and Commissioners Annette Given, Ralph Jackson and Sandra Steele joined him in a unanimous vote. The new windows must be true divided-light with dark spacer bars, and they cannot use low-e glass. Commission staff member Nicholas Armata will sign off on the final window and door details. Those conditions are the reason a new pub facade on Charles Street ends up looking like it has always been there.
The building has a longer history. The Globe noted that plans for a fine-dining replacement had been discussed for years before the pub's final closing. If Harry Hare's opens in November, the storefront will have been empty for about four years. Harry Hare's own website still says only that it opens in 2026, with no exact date.
The Savenor's Space and the Awning Trade
Savenor's last day at its Charles Street store was Saturday, June 22, 2024, after more than 30 years there. The business pointed to post-pandemic changes in how customers shop and to the growth of online shopping, and it kept its Cambridge location. As of this month, the space has been empty for more than two years.
Brick Street Bagels is taking it over. Founder Jordan Renouf started the business in 2022 as a pop-up and bike-delivery operation. It then settled at The Buttery in the South End before opening its first permanent shop on West Broadway in South Boston. Charles Street will be its third permanent Boston location. Coverage in June said the shop would add espresso, seating and a bigger bagel and sandwich menu.
The September hearing included a detail about signage. Buildings in the historic district are normally allowed one band sign and one blade sign. Brick Street asked for a board sign and a named awning and skipped the blade sign. Armata's staff notes and Chair Kiefer both treated the awning as standing in for the blade sign the shop didn't request, and the commission approved it unanimously on a motion from Commissioner Alice Richmond.
One address detail: landlord Related Beal's lease announcement lists the shop at 144 Charles St. and says the site will keep providing parking along with neighborhood-serving retail. The commission's September record and the 2024 Savenor's closing story both use 160 Charles St. Either way, it's the old Savenor's storefront. The opening target is still "this fall," and the Beacon Hill Times was still calling the shop incoming on Sept. 25.
Approval to Opening Can Be Short
Not every case follows the four-year pattern of the old pub. At 115 Charles St., owner Maria Stolt opened the second location of Nantasket Sweets By Swedes, a Swedish candy and chocolate shop whose first store is at 165 Nantasket Ave. in Hull. The BHAC approved its blade sign after an Aug. 20 hearing, and Boston.com's Sept. 3 openings roundup already listed the shop as open as of August. In that case the sign approval and the opening came within weeks of each other.
At 20 Charles St., the commission approved a carved wood sign for Willie's in February, and the pizzeria opened in the former Upper Crust space in March. The Beacon Hill Times preview gave the opening date as Monday, March 16, while a press release reported by Boston Restaurant Talk on March 12 said it was already open. The restaurant comes from BCB3 Hospitality, led by Babak Bina with longtime partner Andrew Cartin and chef Jamie Bissonnette. "We were going back and forth on what to do with the space when Upper Crust was vacating and decided the neighborhood was missing a really great neighborhood pizza-and-pasta joint," Bina told the Beacon Hill Times. The dining room has 28 seats at seven tables. Each thin-crust pizza is about 10½ inches and is baked in a Wood Stone oven.
Some shops have simply moved down the street. Rugg Road Paper Co. relocated from 105 to 130 Charles St. this winter under managing owner Geraldine O'Hagan, who took over the business in 2018. Childs Gallery decided not to renew its Newbury Street lease, which ended Jan. 31, and announced 22 Beacon St. as its new home, with an opening exhibition planned for fall.
The Pages of the Record Still Blank
Earlier hearings this year also hint at what's next, and some of those stories are still in progress.
- 143 Charles St. Owner Chris Pedersen closed Charles Street Liquors after more than 20 years. He cited changing buying habits and personal reasons for closing. In January, the building and the liquor business were both for sale. That report named no new tenant.
- Charles Street Meeting House. February coverage of the BHAC said Tatte Bakery & Café wanted to expand into two vacant storefronts next door. That is a proposal so far, not finished work.
- 282 Cambridge St. The commission approved new signs for Blank Street that switch the brand color from black to green and remove "Coffee" from the name.
- The CVS corner at Charles and Cambridge streets. As of the April coverage, CVS was still on the site while a redevelopment plan moved forward. The plan would replace the one-story building with a five-story mixed-use building and a stepped-back sixth-floor penthouse, with one or two retail spaces facing mostly onto Cambridge Street. The BHAC approved much of the design in April.
The Next Few Weeks on the Calendar
- Monday, Oct. 5, 6 to 8 p.m. Beacon Hill Civic Association Meet & Greet at 75 Chestnut St.
- Tuesday, Oct. 6, 5:30 p.m. BHCA Streets & Sidewalks Committee meeting on Zoom.
- Thursday, Oct. 8. Evening at 74 with Shelter Music Boston at 74 Joy St. The reception starts at 6 p.m., and Adrian Anantawan, Sergio Muñoz Leiva and Jennifer Ho perform at 6:30.
- Tuesday, Oct. 13, 7 p.m. BHCA Board of Directors meeting, also at 74 Joy St.
- Sunday, Oct. 25. The Esplanade Fall Fest 5K and 1.5-mile walk, which this year adds a Paws & Pumpkins dog parade.
- November. Harry Hare's target opening at 147 Charles St., based on Eater's September preview.
The BHAC holds a public hearing every month, and the Beacon Hill Times reports on each one. For the old Savenor's space, an approved awning means the next step is a sign going up over the door.
At Aura Realty Advisors, Mike Preston follows Beacon Hill storefront approvals the way development advisors follow permits, because what happens at street level shapes how a block feels to live on. If you own on Beacon Hill and want to know what the changes at the old pub, the Savenor's space or the CVS corner could mean for your block, schedule your concierge consultation.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
