New Café To See Delayed Opening

Students who used to grab lunch at Z Square will have to wait a few months longer for its successor to open.

Despite earlier projections of a December opening, the 14 JFK St. space that previously housed Z Square café will likely remain empty until early spring, according to Denise A. Jillson, executive director of the Harvard Square Business Association.

The delay probably reflects careful planning, Jillson said, citing what she said was property owner Cambridge Savings Bank’s reputation for attention to detail.

“I’ll bet they spent a lot of time making sure everything is appropriate and good,” she added.

Z Square, the restaurant previously housed at that location, was shut down in January due to license violations.

In October, the space was leased to Harvard Square restaurateurs Gerry Sheerin, Peter Lee, Sean Kennedy and Patrick Lee of the Grafton Group, according to Elizabeth Lascaze, a client representative for The Grafton Group.

Their collection also includes Grafton Street Pub & Grill, Redline Food and Drink, and Temple Bar in Harvard Square; as well as The Irish Village pub in Brighton.

“Patrick and his team, including his brother Peter, are very responsible and thoughtful property and business owners and do a very good job,” Jillson said.

The current project, which is unnamed, is still “in the early stages of development and its concept [is] in progress,” wrote Lascaze in an

e-mailed statement.

“The space will provide a two-floor, 135-seat dining room with private event space capability, an indoor café, and a full-service bar in addition to a 20-seat outdoor café,” Lascaze wrote.

Construction on the space will begin soon and will most likely take several months to complete, according to Jillson, who told The Crimson in late September that she hoped the project would be done in time for the annual Winter Carnival held in mid-January.