The Woods Won't Open This November. Weston's December Still Runs Through the Golden Ball Tavern.

This month was supposed to be the opening of The Woods, the restaurant planned inside the town-owned Josiah Smith Tavern in Weston Center. In January, restaurateur Brian Piccini set a goal of opening in November 2026. In an update from the Friends of the Josiah Smith Tavern, he called it "the first new restaurant to open in Weston in generations." November is here, and no construction has started. At last report, the project had cleared its regulatory boards. What remains unsettled is the order of three things: who deposits money, who signs, and when the rent-free months begin. Until that is resolved, Weston's holiday season runs through the other historic tavern on Boston Post Road, the Golden Ball Tavern Museum, as it has for decades.

How a November Target Became a Spring One

Over 2026 the timeline slipped one step at a time, and each step is on the record.

1. January 2026. The Friends reported a November 2026 opening goal. Construction documents were in progress through February, with building-department approvals still to come.
2. May 28, 2026. The Weston Observer reported that the restaurant group said the project was on track for a fall opening.
3. June 4, 2026. The Select Board sent the Friends a letter asking for six items, including cost estimates and an updated timeline. The letter warned that the lease could be terminated if they were not provided.
4. July 6, 2026. Piccini's response projected a March 2027 opening, according to the Weston Observer.
5. September 30, 2026. The Zoning Board of Appeals approved a parking variance, the Friends reported.
6. October 8, 2026. The Select Board issued what the Friends described as a "final proposal" and set an October 15 deadline to sign it.
7. October 17, 2026. The Friends said BUWest, Piccini's company, was ready to apply for a building permit. The lease amendment and escrow agreement were still unsigned.

The list covers 2026 alone. The Weston Observer traces the tavern's reuse back to an exterior rehabilitation in 2009. A restaurant was first suggested in 2012, the Select Board chose the Friends to manage the project in 2016, and Piccini's bid was accepted in 2023.

What Is Actually Unresolved

By the Friends' account, the approvals are largely in hand. They list sign-offs from Historic New England, which holds the preservation restriction, and from Weston's Planning Board, Historical Commission, Permanent Building Committee and Zoning Board of Appeals. They also say more than $455,000 of Piccini's personal funds has gone into the project. The restaurant was awarded a state liquor license in March 2024.

The Select Board's position, as the Weston Observer reported it on October 23, starts from the original lease, which was signed in March 2024. That lease required rent to begin a year after the liquor license was issued. Because the restaurant is not open and rent is not being paid, the Board says the Friends and Piccini are in breach. Chair John McDonald told the paper that the October 8 proposal was meant to protect the town's assets by "guaranteeing Piccini has the money for the project."

Both sides agree on a $1 million construction escrow. Piccini has agreed to fund it. They disagree on when it gets funded, when rent relief starts, and what happens if a deadline is missed.

The Friends add that the town is not providing a tenant improvement allowance toward the build-out. That is why they treat the timing of rent relief as central to whether the restaurant can work financially. Their original terms called for a 180-day construction period after the building permit is issued. Since June, the Board has met six times in executive session to discuss the tavern. McDonald told the Observer that this is the norm.

Neither side is described as walking away. Friends president Jay Valenta told the Weston Observer that he believes "there is a majority of the Select Board who wants this to happen." McDonald said that although the Board is prepared to step away, he believes an agreement is still possible. Piccini told the same paper he sees "the town trying to protect their historic asset, which I respect." The Friends' October update refers to a spring 2027 opening.

If the terms are settled, the plan is substantial. The Friends cite a proposed occupancy of 175 seats, which matches the Board of Health's septic-capacity certification. The Weston Observer has described the concept as a family-friendly New England farm-to-table and sea-to-table restaurant. Plans include a wood-fired grill, locally sourced seafood, meat and produce, and craft cocktails and mocktails.

The Tavern That Already Fills Up in December

A March or spring opening means Weston gets through another holiday season without The Woods. The town's main December gathering takes place a few stops west on Boston Post Road, at the Golden Ball Tavern Museum, 662 Boston Post Road.

Trimming the Tavern runs from Saturday, December 5, through Saturday, December 12. This year's theme is "A Winter's Tale." Each room interprets a different book or holiday story, from classics to children's tales, using decorations and seasonal greenery. The Waltham Times lists the event as free and family-friendly, with a scavenger hunt for children. On the Town of Weston calendar, hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on most days and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, December 6.

The Country Garden Club of Weston leads the event, and the museum says the partnership on its holiday open house goes back almost 60 years. This year's decorators include:

• The Weston Garden Club and the Weston Garden Club Evening Group
• The Weston Public Library
• Land's Sake Farm
• The Weston Council on Aging
• The Weston Art & Innovation Center

The museum says other local groups are taking part as well. Last season's version, "Here's to the Red, White and Blue!", marked the nation's 250th anniversary and drew more than 500 guests, according to the museum.

If you would rather see the rooms before the decorations go up, the museum is open for tours every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and tickets are sold online.

Saturday, December 5, on Boston Post Road

Trimming the Tavern opens on the same day as the Weston Handmade Holiday Market at the Weston Art & Innovation Center, 356 Boston Post Road. The market runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission and the raffle are free, and the first 150 attendees get a custom tote bag. The vendor list includes AES.knits, anemoni, The Artful Cushion, Earth Wood Fire and The Elchemist. The AIC is also one of the groups decorating a room at the Golden Ball, so a single Saturday can include both the AIC's market and its room at the museum.

Before then, two November events are on the Weston Patch calendar for Saturday, November 7:

• The Spellman Museum, 241 Wellesley St., hosts No Mail, Low Morale: The 6888th Postal Directory Battalion in World War II at 11 a.m.
• CSEM Presents Trio Langostino in Concert at Village Church in Weston, 130 Newton St., at 4 p.m.

What to Watch at the Josiah Smith Tavern

The next milestone for The Woods is a building permit application. The Friends say BUWest is ready to file once the lease amendment and escrow agreement are signed. In the Select Board's October 8 terms, construction is also the trigger for the second block of free rent, so the start of work would mark progress on both sides of the deal. The Weston Observer's running coverage of the Josiah Smith Tavern and the Friends of the Josiah Smith Tavern are the two places where any change will show up first. Until then, the restaurant's opening target stays in spring 2027, and the season's December plans center on 662 Boston Post Road.

A historic building with a delayed restaurant plan and a long-standing decorating tradition is the kind of town-center detail that matters to anyone weighing life near Weston Center. If you are thinking about a move to or within Weston and want a clear read on what is changing along Boston Post Road, Taylor Yates can help. Request a complimentary concierge consultation, and we will walk you through the town as it stands this season.