WHAV (https://whav.net/category/business/page/19/)
The Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce is planning a Back to Business Networking session at Casa Blanca Mexican Restaurant in Haverhill. The free networking event also features appetizers and a door prize. It takes place Wednesday, April 15, from 4:30-6:30 p.m., at Casa Blanca Mexican Restaurant, 2 Essex St., in Haverhill. Spaces may be reserved online at HaverhillChamber.com.
Eric Paley, the state’s secretary of economic development, says Massachusetts has a lot going for it, including the highest gross domestic product of any state, but still faces economic challenges. He was the keynote speaker at the Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Economic Development Conference and Business Expo Wednesday. Paley told business leaders he has spent much of his time since his appointment last September traveling the state and talking to business leaders so he can better understand its strengths and challenges. “First, we should acknowledge how lucky we are. Massachusetts actually had the highest GDP growth of any state in 2025.
(Additional photograph below.)
Mark’s Deli, a destination eatery in downtown Haverhill for more than three generations, will become Maria’s Diner as it goes under new ownership. Maria Emond, who has managed the nearby McDonald’s in Bradford for 16 years, purchased Mark’s Deli from Stavros Dimakis. Dimakis inherited the deli from his father, Antonios K. Dimakis, who bought the deli five years after emigrating from Greece in 1970. “Mark’s has always been a family restaurant where people come to see their friends,” Emond told WHAV, noting she plans on retaining the present staff. “I want to keep that up and make it even better.”
Emond, who lives in Haverhill, said owning her own restaurant is a dream come true.
The First Annual Taste of Haverhill, organized by the Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce and Merrimack Valley Eats, brings a variety of foods from more than 20 food vendors for residents to sample Monday, April 13. Included for one admission ticket are foods from Azul Mexican Restaurant, Burton’s Grill, Cedar View Rehab, Cedar’s, Flour Girls Bake Shop, Harrow’s Chicken Pies, Ice Cream Emergency, Jersey Mikes, Kerry’s Katering, L’Arche Boston North, Mac Daddies, Northern Essex Community College, Otto Pizza, Oyummy Asian Bistro, Phoenician Restaurant, Pica’s Pub and Grill, Smoke Shop BBQ, Sweet London Bakery and Vivacino, among others. The First Annual Taste of Haverhill, sponsored by Haverhill Bank, takes place Monday, April 13, at Michael’s Function Hall, 12 Alpha St., Haverhill. Individual tickets are $45 each or five for $200 and senior discounts are available. Tickets may be purchased online at TasteofHaverhill.com or by calling 978-686-0900.
Anna Jaques Hospital in Newburyport says it officially relaunched the Gerrish Family Foundation Fast Track service to speed service to patients with less-severe conditions. The service is aimed at putting injuries and conditions less likely to worsen on a separate track from serious emergencies. Since the initial relaunch, officials explain, the hospital has reduced its “left-without-being-seen rate” by more than half and shortened the average time Emergency Department patients spend from arrival to discharge by at least 30 minutes. Anna Jaques Hospital President Tom Sands said, “We have worked diligently to restore this highly valued community asset, and its return reflects our commitment to reducing wait times and enhancing the care and treatment we provide to all our patients in the Emergency Department.”
Officials explain, “the Fast Track program provides a streamlined care pathway for patients with conditions not requiring extensive evaluation, such as sprains, simple fractures, cuts and lacerations, and upper respiratory infections. By ensuring lower-acuity cases receive timely care through a separate, dedicated track, the Emergency Department is able to position additional resources for those requiring more intensive care.”
Fast Track service is available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
MassHire Merrimack Valley Career Center’s Haverhill office is temporarily located in Haverhill City Hall. The office provides assistance for both individuals seeking job opportunities and employers looking for workers. Limited aid with unemployment insurance is also be provided. “The MassHire Merrimack Valley Career Center is a one-stop career center, providing a wide range of services to job seekers and businesses, youth to adults, in the Merrimack Valley,” the state agency says. The city hall office is expected to remain open through June 30.
Brando’s Part II is set to open in the former Harrison Roast Beef location in North Andover Monday, April 6. Billy Griffin and partner Scott Brandolini, who own Brando’s Cutlets in Haverhill, were issued a common victualler’s license by the North Andover Select Board, acting as the town’s Licensing Commission on a unanimous vote last Monday night, according to Licensing member David Kres. “North Andover is excited to welcome Brando’s Cutlets II to our community,” Kres told WHAV. “We’re confident Brando’s will bring energy to the Harrison’s Roast Beef location and will be a strong addition to the local dining scene.”
Brando’s Cutlets, 612 Broadway, has been a Haverhill institution for decades since the late Richard Brandolini, Scott’s grandfather, opened it initially in an old Burger Chef location on upper Main Street. Griffin said the new restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 12-6 p.m. Sunday.
(Additional photograph below.)
It’s not spring in Greater Haverhill until the Murphys say it’s so. After a longer and more snow-filled winter than in recent years, Murphy’s Garrison Golf Center is open for its 57th season and Bradford Country Club opens its 16th season under the Murphy’s next week. Garrison Par 3 Course and Driving Range, 654 Hilldale Ave., Haverhill, is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., daily, and Bradford Country Club, 201 Chadwick Road, Haverhill, is getting ready. “Opening golf courses in a New England spring is definitely a test of patience for our whole team,” says PGA Golf Professional Kevin Murphy and Bradford Country Club owner. “After a winter with so much snow, every inch of both courses need care.