Jared Auclair, dean of the College of Professional Studies, recommends a vast food and beverage hall running out of a former Sears department store.
Jared Auclair, dean of Northeastern’s College of Professional Studies, says if you’re searching for fun in Massachusetts, you should consider Burlington.
One of his favorite places in town is Common Craft, a vast food and beverage hall attached to the Burlington Mall and a six-minute drive from the Northeastern Innovation Campus in Burlington. Operating out of a former Sears department store, Common Craft features an occasionally rotating roster of local craft beer and wine vendors, along with a scratch kitchen serving up an ample menu of gastropub-style fare for both lunch and dinner.
“They have Exhibit ‘A’ and Zero Gravity, which are two craft breweries that I love,” Auclair says. “I can get their beer on tap there, get some food — the food is really good — and just hang out.”
In the summer, Common Craft has outdoor seating with lawn games like cornhole; on the events front, live music, pop-up shops and events for holidays, like Derby Day in May, are regular features. It’s family friendly, with a big kids’ menu and table games to play.
For Auclair, there’s a lot about Common Craft — from its agile business model to its location in a formerly moribund retail center — that serves as a testament to the growth around it.
“Most malls are dying, but the Burlington Mall is thriving,” he points out. “Lots of new stuff is coming in, lots of trendy things are happening, and the city has made a great effort to put itself on the map.”
Auclair first came to the university’s Innovation Campus in the town north of Boston in 2014, joining to run the Biopharmaceutical Analysis and Training Lab.
In the years since, Burlington has thrived — attracting major employers in the biotech, health care and education sectors, and building up the town’s offerings to match.
“The economic development group has done a really good job of bringing life to the city,” Auclair says. “There are lots of great restaurants, there are lots of great places to hang out.”
Schuyler Velasco is a Northeastern Global News senior writer. Email her at s.velasco@northeastern.edu. Follow her on X/Twitter @Schuyler_V.