By Dan Murphy
A newcomer to the neighborhood, The Hummus Shop was the sole Beacon Hill establishment selected to receive funding via the city’s recently announced third and final round of Supporting Pandemic Affected Community Enterprises (SPACE) grants.
Colin Daly is seen outside his business, The Hummus Shop at 37a
Charles St.
“The space took so long to build, and it cost so much more than our initial estimates, [receiving] this grant now is essential to us surviving and keeping our heads above water,” said owner Colin Daly.
The compact, street-level space at 37a Charles St., offers takeaway, along with seating for 10 customers. It’s the first brick-and-mortar location for The Hummus Shop, which began producing hummus at its Medford production facility in 2017 and has also operated a food truck since 2022.
(Making the hummus in Medford is a 24-hour process, which Daly personally oversees at the beginning of each work week; hence, the Beacon Hill store is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.)
Menu offerings include a choice of hummus (topped with tahini and olive oil); falafel; Chick’n Schnitzel (plant-based chicken, fried to order); or Sabich (with fried eggplant, hardboiled egg, and a special sauce), all of which comes with Israeli salad and microgreens, among other fresh ingredients. The chosen item can then be selected as a hummus bowl, salad, or pita sandwich and accentuated with a choice of three sauces. Spicy pickles are also on the menu as a side.
Since opening on Oct. 12, and despite having what Daly described as a “hard-to-find, hole-in-the-wall” location tucked behind Anton’s Cleaners, the Charles Street store is already attracting a loyal clientele from the neighborhood.
“A few residents come by several times a week,” said Daly. “It’s nice to see the same faces.”
Besides the current takeout and dining-in options, The Hummus Shop will also begin offering catering “within a month or so,” said Daly.
In all, 32 Boston small business that recently opened, or about to open, including The Hummus Shop, will receive a total of $2,875,000 in funding via the third round of the city’s SPACE grants. The first and second rounds of the city’s SPACE grants distributed over $7.3 million to more than 60 entrepreneurs to help create more than 600 new jobs for residents, according to the city. The Hummus Shop is open from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Visit eatjustus.com for more information.