New Restaurants, Extended Theater Hours, and a Game Show Arena: Burlington's Summer Business Boom
Kyuramen, Sunflower Organic Pizza, Waffle & Bagel, and Game Show Battle Rooms are among the newest additions to Burlington's business scene.
It's been a busy summer for new businesses in Burlington — and more are on the way.
At its June 22 meeting, the Burlington Select Board approved two new restaurant licenses in the One Wheeler Road plaza (at the corner of Wheeler Rd. and Middlesex Tpk.), which after years of being vacant and under construction is setting itself up to be a real dining destination.
Kyuramen received its common victualler license (a municipal food service permit) and is preparing to open "within the next week," Principal Qi Mingbing told the board. The Japanese ramen concept — which already has locations in Brookline and Winchester — will serve ramen, rice dishes, appetizers, and dessert, along with smoothies and matcha gelato. Hours will run Monday through Sunday, 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM.
Also at One Wheeler Road, Sunflower Organic Pizza received its beer and wine license. Owner Vishal Jariwala is opening a family-friendly pizzeria focused on USDA-certified organic ingredients — organic flour, oil, and tomatoes — with locally sourced, non-GMO meats. The menu will feature New York, Neapolitan, and Neo-Neapolitan styles, with gluten-free options available for those who prefer it (though the facility is not gluten-free and can't guarantee against cross-contamination).
On Middlesex Turnpike, Waffle & Bagel at the Burlington Mall (75 Middlesex Tpk.) had already soft-opened by the time their license came before the board — the Select Board approved their common victualler license in absentia after learning the new restaurant likely hadn't realized it was a required step.
The board also approved extended operating hours for AMC Burlington 10, which will stay open until 2 a.m. from July 17–26 for Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey (2 hour, 52 minute run time) and July 31–Aug. 9 for Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2 hour, 30 minute run time). General Manager James McMeeken told the board that late-night attendance has been strong this year, and the extended hours allow the theater to fit in additional showings for longer films.
And coming soon to Burlington Mall: Game Show Battle Rooms, a live game show experience where groups of 8 to 36 compete in custom arenas against each other in three different game shows over the course of an hour — think Survey Battles (a family-feud-style format), a giant spinning wheel, and pricing challenges. The Burlington location at the Burlington Mall (75 Middlesex Tpk.) is one of more than 20 nationwide and is listed on their website as opening July 2026.
Burlington's dining and entertainment options keep growing — and if the summer pipeline holds, there will be plenty of new reasons to stay local this fall.
