Are you in the mood for sweet and savory pastries, challah-rolled sandwiches, and delicious coffee? Well, you’re in luck, because Tatte Bakery and Café signed a lease for the two commercial spaces in the Little Building at the corner of Boylston and Tremont streets.

Tatte is a woman-owned business, which Tzurit Or founded in 2007 from her own kitchen in Brookline. They offer a variety of menus, including gluten-free options. Since starting in her home, Or has led Tatte to open 14 brick and mortar restaurants in Boston, Brookline, and Cambridge.

But maybe you’re in the mood for tacos, burritos, or huevos rancheros.

Your taco desires will be nourished by a new “boss” in the Little Building because El Jefe’s Taqueria recently signed a lease to take one of the new ground-level commercial spots.

This will be El Jefe’s (el jefe means boss in Spanish) third restaurant, with their first two being in Harvard Square, and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where Lehigh University is located.

The taqueria’s lease is for 10 years, with a five-year extension option, said Assistant VP of Facilities & Campus Services Duncan Pollock. The lease also stipulates that El Jefe may serve beer and wine, but alcohol cannot exceed 20 percent of their sales. El Jefe is currently building out their 1,254-square-foot space, and anticipate opening in March, said Pollock.

Part of El Jefe’s ethos is taking great pride in participating in community events such as fundraisers.

?ANNOUNCEMENT THREAD?



On Tuesday, December 10, 2019 El Jefe’s Taqueria and the Harvard Varsity Club will be sponsoring the 3rd Annual Ben Abercrombie Fundraiser. For each of the last two years, we’ve had over 2,000 customers come and raise over $27,000 each year! pic.twitter.com/CwsthWOEuu — EatElJefes (@eateljefes) December 6, 2019

But Wait — There’s More Restaurant News!

Emerson is expecting to sign two additional leases for the Little Building — an Asian noodle bar, and a juice bar.

And elsewhere on campus, Garbanzo, a Mediterranean grill, will open this March in the space formerly occupied by Griddlers at 134 Boylston Street. Garbanzo is a fast-casual restaurant offering grilled chicken, steak, gyro, falafel, falarma (mix of chicken or steak and falafel), mushrooms, chicken or steak kabobs, which are put in either stuffed pitas, atop salads, in laffa, or on flatbread. Customers then choose accoutrements to their meals like tzatziki, tahini, tomato cucumber salad, baba ganoush, and more.

"Get ready to eat all of the gumbo (and bourbon pecan pie) when the restaurant opens in Downtown Crossing this winter." Boston Magazine https://bit.ly/36Dsd6u Posted by French Quarter – Boston, MA on Monday, December 16, 2019

Also, French Quarter, a New Orleans-style French restaurant will open in April at the Paramount Center at 545 Washington St. Its menu includes gumbo, fried catfish, bourbon pecan pie, cornmeal fried okra, mac & cheese with crawfish and tasso, French Quarter’s sister restaurants Back Deck and Fajitas & ‘Ritas, have been popular spots in Downtown Boston for many years.

“There is much interest from fast-casual and cafe style restaurant and all the tenants will be accepting EC Cash,” added Pollock.

With the addition of the restaurants, the College is continuing its revival of the corner of Tremont and Boylston streets.

“Once the restaurants have opened and the new sidewalk along Boylston is completed, Emerson and local community members will experience an extraordinary transformation of our streetscape, which will become a destination for the entire city,” said President Lee Pelton.