Tasty Sandwich Shop

Tasty Sandwich Shop, commonly called The Tasty, was a compact diner and sandwich counter in Harvard Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts. It operated for 81 years, from 1916 to 1997, in the Read Block building near the intersection of John F. Kennedy Street and Brattle Street. The site was historically associated with the home of colonial poet Anne Bradstreet, adding an additional layer of local historical significance to the restaurant's location. The Tasty was notable for its unusually small footprint and highly informal service model. The customer area measured approximately seven feet wide and thirty feet deep, or about 210 square feet, and contained 14 stools arranged along a narrow yellow-linoleum counter. Its constrained layout gave the restaurant an intimate, almost communal character. A large map covered the rear wall, marked with pins that purported to identify the origins of postcards sent by customers over the years. Staff members interacted directly with patrons, and the cooks were often described as conversational figures who resembled bartenders as much as conventional kitchen employees. The diner served as a meeting place for a broad cross-section of Cambridge. Its position close to Harvard Yard, combined with late operating hours, attracted Harvard University students as well as long-time Cambridge residents. The restaurant's inexpensive food and relaxed atmosphere allowed people from different social and economic backgrounds to share the same narrow counter. This social role became a central part of The Tasty's reputation: it was remembered not simply as a place to buy a sandwich, but as one of the few Harvard Square establishments where professors, students, local residents, and people experiencing homelessness might sit alongside one another. The restaurant also acquired a place in popular culture. It appeared in the 1970 film Love Story, which was set partly around Harvard, and was used as a filming location for a scene in the 1997 film Good Will Hunting. Its history and cultural importance were later explored in Federico Muchnik's 2005 documentary Touching History. Local and regional media frequently referred to The Tasty as a landmark or institution, reflecting its unusual longevity and its connection to the identity of Harvard Square. By the 1990s, however, the commercial environment around Harvard Square had changed. Rising demand for prominent retail space made chain-store tenants more attractive to landlords, while The Tasty's small premises and comparatively low prices were increasingly out of step with the neighborhood's upscale redevelopment. Owner Peter Haddad attempted to preserve the tenancy, and local supporters organized against the closure. The Harvard Square Defense Fund and radio personalities Tom and Ray Magliozzi publicly opposed the restaurant's displacement. The controversy became a local symbol of gentrification and the replacement of independent, socially mixed businesses with higher-rent commercial uses. The tenancy ended in November 1997. Cambridge City Council required that the restaurant's distinctive entrance be preserved and granted it landmark status, although the restaurant itself did not continue operating. The space later housed an Abercrombie & Fitch store, then a Citizens Bank branch and ATM area, and, by 2025, a CVS Pharmacy. The surviving entrance remains a physical reminder of the diner. Tasty Sandwich Shop is therefore best understood as a defunct local restaurant brand whose importance came from its longevity, distinctive physical scale, affordability, cultural appearances, and role in the social history of Harvard Square.

Tasty Sandwich Shop was a small diner and lunch counter in Harvard Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Often shortened to The Tasty, it began operating in 1916 and remained open until 1997. The restaurant occupied a particularly narrow space in the Read Block building, close to the intersection of John F. Kennedy Street and Brattle Street. The building stood on a site associated with the home of Anne Bradstreet, the colonial poet. The physical design of the restaurant was central to its identity. The customer room was approximately seven feet wide and thirty feet deep, with a total area of about 210 square feet. Fourteen stools lined a narrow counter made of yellow linoleum. Rather than presenting the atmosphere of a conventional full-service restaurant, The Tasty functioned as a highly compressed lunch counter where customers and staff were in constant proximity. A map covered much of the rear wall and was decorated with pins representing the reported origins of postcards received from patrons. The working style was similarly informal. Cooks and managers spoke with customers directly, and employees were sometimes compared to bartenders because of the conversational role they played at the counter. Tom Sweet managed the graveyard shift until the summer of 1976, while chef Charlie Coney was another recognized member of the restaurant's staff. The restaurant's small scale did not prevent it from developing a strong local reputation; instead, its limitations helped create a distinctive sense of familiarity. The Tasty's location near Harvard Yard and its late hours made it especially popular with Harvard students. At the same time, it retained a regular base among Cambridge residents. Its relatively low prices allowed people from different social and economic groups to use the same establishment. Accounts of the restaurant emphasized that a Harvard professor, a student, a long-time resident, or a homeless person could occupy neighboring stools. This mixture made The Tasty an important informal gathering place in Harvard Square and helped explain why local observers regarded it as more than an ordinary sandwich shop. The restaurant's cultural profile was reinforced by appearances in film and documentary. It was used in Love Story, the 1970 film associated with Harvard and based on Erich Segal's story. A scene in Good Will Hunting was filmed at the restaurant on May 23, 1997. Federico Muchnik later made Touching History, a 2005 documentary focused on the restaurant and its significance. Newspapers and local commentators regularly described The Tasty as a landmark or institution. The final chapter of the restaurant's history was shaped by changes in Harvard Square's commercial real-estate market. As the neighborhood became more attractive to chain retailers and other financially secure tenants, the landlord, Cambridge Savings Bank, could seek higher rents and greater tenancy security from replacement occupants. The Tasty's low prices and tiny premises were increasingly difficult to reconcile with this redevelopment pattern. Owner Peter Haddad attempted to retain the tenancy, but the effort did not succeed. The closure became a cause célèbre. The Harvard Square Defense Fund supported the restaurant, while Tom and Ray Magliozzi, known as the Click and Clack radio hosts of Car Talk, criticized the loss on their program. Cambridge City Council considered the issue during the winter of 1997, although the Harvard Square Business Association objected to the council's involvement in what it regarded as a private contractual matter. Supporters presented evidence concerning the restaurant's historic and social value, but they could not prevent the end of the lease. The Tasty closed in November 1997 after 81 years of operation. Its entrance was preserved through city action and received landmark status. The former interior was subsequently used by an Abercrombie & Fitch store, then by Citizens Bank, including a row of ATMs, and later by a CVS Pharmacy. The continued presence of the extra doorway associated with the diner has helped keep the restaurant visible in the built environment. The closure is widely interpreted as an example of gentrification in Harvard Square: an inexpensive, independent and socially inclusive business gave way to more commercially valuable uses. A later Tasty Burger location nearby used design elements intended to evoke The Tasty, showing that the diner continued to carry symbolic value after its disappearance.

• 2005

  Touching History documentary

  [1]Tasty Sandwich Shopen.wikipedia.org

  Federico Muchnik's documentary Touching History examines the restaurant's legacy.

• 1997

  Good Will Hunting filming

  [1]Tasty Sandwich Shopen.wikipedia.org

  A scene for Good Will Hunting is filmed at The Tasty on May 23, 1997.

• 1997

  The Tasty closes

  [1]Tasty Sandwich Shopen.wikipedia.org

  The restaurant's tenancy ends in November after 81 years in business.

• 1997

  Entrance receives preservation protection

  [1]Tasty Sandwich Shopen.wikipedia.org

  Cambridge City Council requires preservation of the distinctive entrance and grants it landmark status.

• 1976

  Tom Sweet ends graveyard-shift management

  [1]Tasty Sandwich Shopen.wikipedia.org

  Tom Sweet manages the restaurant's overnight shift until the summer of 1976.

• 1970

  The restaurant appears in Love Story

  [1]Tasty Sandwich Shopen.wikipedia.org

  The Harvard-associated film Love Story uses The Tasty as a filming location.

• 1916

  Tasty Sandwich Shop begins operating

  [1]Tasty Sandwich Shopen.wikipedia.org

  The diner and sandwich counter opens in Harvard Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

A highly informal, affordable neighborhood diner and sandwich counter known for its tiny footprint, late hours, direct customer interaction, and socially mixed Harvard Square clientele.

• Restaurant menu · 1916

  Sandwiches and lunch-counter meals

  The Tasty's core offering consisted of inexpensive sandwich-shop and diner fare served across a narrow counter. Available menu details are limited in the cited material, but the restaurant was identified primarily as a sandwich shop and lunch counter rather than as a full-service dining establishment. Its affordability was an important part of its appeal and contrasted with the increasingly upscale commercial environment of Harvard Square.

• Restaurant service · 1916

  Late-night diner service

  Late operating hours formed part of The Tasty's practical and social proposition. They helped attract Harvard students and other customers who wanted an informal place to eat outside conventional meal times. The late-night setting also reinforced the restaurant's reputation as a gathering place where people from different backgrounds could meet casually.

• 1997

  Owner's attempt to preserve the Harvard Square tenancyStrategy

  Background

  The Tasty faced pressure as Harvard Square became more attractive to chain retailers and other tenants able to support higher rents. Its owner, Peter Haddad, sought to keep the restaurant in its long-standing location.

  Action taken

  Haddad and community supporters presented arguments concerning the diner's historical and social importance, while local groups and radio hosts publicly opposed its displacement.

  Aftermath

  The effort did not prevent the tenancy from ending in November 1997. Cambridge preserved the distinctive entrance, but the restaurant itself closed.

  Source

• 1997

  Closure and landmark preservationOther

  Background

  The restaurant's lease ended after 81 years amid a local debate over private property rights, neighborhood change, and the cultural value of independent businesses.

  Action taken

  Cambridge City Council required that the restaurant's distinctive entrance be retained and granted it landmark status.

  Aftermath

  The premises were subsequently occupied by other commercial tenants, while the preserved entrance remained a visible reminder of The Tasty.

  Source

1. 1Tasty Sandwich Shopen.wikipedia.org