South Boston to Get TOAST

However, it hasn’t always been easy sailing – the pandemic took its toll. In 2020, Toast had to lay off half of its employees because the entire restaurant industry had been so drastically weakened. But Toast grew back, although not as dramatically as before the pandemic. Late in May, Toast announced they were not renewing their lease at 401 Park Drive and were proposing to move into 100,000 square feet of space at 333 Summer Street in South Boston.

The comparison between the address where Toast was and where they are going now is interesting. The building at 410 Park – a.k.a “The Landmark Center” – was originally known as the Sears Roebuck and Company Mail Order Store, where bargains could be purchased in person using Sears catalogs. Lifelong Bostonians simply called it “the Sears building”. Its architectural design, including its 200-foot tower, was an example of “art deco” in the 1920s, which is totally and completely out of fashion these days.

In contrast, the yellow-brick 333 Summer Street building was once a Fort Point textile mill, which had been converted to business offices. The sign in front that now reads “LogMeIn” will be changed to “Toast” in January. In addition to flexible work areas, 333 Summer offers its tenants a gym, community spaces, and even a basketball court. Numerous restaurants, potential clients for Toast, are located in the nearby Seaport District. Furthermore, the site is certainly in a transportation hub. There’s easy access to Logan Airport. South Station and North Station are within walking and MBTA ride distances. The good ol’ “T” Bus No. 7 goes right by the front door, and then out to City Point or into Downtown Boston. And the rent at 333 Summer Street, at least for now, is somewhat lower than on Park Drive. Welcome to South Boston.