Rox Diner Owners to Open New Location in Newton Highlands

The Rox Cafe will open in the space vacated by Bakers' Best.

A little over a year after John Fortin and Paul Louderback opened the Rox Diner in Newtonville, the pair is ready to open their third "Rox" location in Newton Highlands.  Fortin and Louderback are planning to open the Rox Café in the former Bakers' Best location on Lincoln Street, according to a report on Yourtown Newton.  Rox Café is aiming for a May opening date and will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner "with a little more finesse," Fortin told Yourtown Newton. The new eatery will also have a bar and a "market" area for takeout. The Rox Café will join a restaurant lineup that includes the original Rox location in West Roxbury as well as the Newtonville diner, which opened in November 2011.  The new café will fill a large hole in Newton …

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Five Things You Missed at Board of Aldermen: Restaurants OK'd for Expansion, Track Team Honored

The aldermen also approved a special permit for the construction of a home on Nevada Street and gave an OK to the city's new Chief Information Officer.

Didn't get a chance to attend or watch the Board of Aldermen's meeting last night? Here are five highlights you missed:   1. Business expansion approved. During its first call vote, the full board voted unanimously (23-0, with one alderman absent) to approve special permits allowing Max & Leo's and the Rox Diner to expand seating and waive the required parking that goes along with that expanded seating.  Rox Diner applied for an increase from 38 seats to 61 seats and Max & Leo's applied for an increase from 12 to 37 seats. The permits were previously approved 6-0 by the Land Use Committee.    2. Nevada Street home gets the OK. After debating the home's size during its August meeting, the Board of Aldermen approved the special permit for a …

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Newton in the Kitchen

New Diner "Rox" Newtonville

Owners and chefs John Fortin and Paul Louderback of Rox Diner talk about how they found themselves as the owners of two restaurants and what exciting changes are already coming to their Newtonville location.

Most folks who open a restaurant have had a lifelong dream of being in the business, or at the very least have a culinary background. Not John Fortin and Paul Louderback. The pair opened their second Rox Diner in Newtonville (the first remains in its popular West Roxbury location) on Nov. 16. “We had worked together at a design firm, and we’d talked about it, batted the idea around over a beer about having a small restaurant,” says Fortin. “Yeah, over steak tips at Sadie’s Saloon in Waltham, too. We’d come up with more and more ideas,” Louderback adds.  In 2007 they saw the opportunity to turn their talk into reality. Fortin noticed that Auntie B’s in West Roxbury, right around the corner from his house, was for sale and he and Louderback …

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Newton's Rox Diner is Open for Business

A new diner is open in the space formerly occupied by KFC.

After many months of eagerly watching its progress, Newton diners can finally enjoy the Rox Diner in Newtonville. The sister restaurant to the West Roxbury establishment opened this morning, November 16, with little fanfare but much enthusiasm. General Manager Chris Smith said that for the time being Rox Diner will focus on breakfast, lunch and takeout but hopes to add dinner service by the end of this year or the very beginning of 2012. In the meantime, Newtonites are already flocking to the new restaurant. Seven Newton firefighters patiently waited for a table large enough for their hungry group while a trio of Newton North High School students lingered in the threshold. “We are so excited that you’re finally open!” said one of the teens…

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