Laundry, Personal Care Dominate Wakefield Business Scene

WAKEFIELD, MA - Have you ever wondered exactly how many restaurants or laundromats there are in downtown Wakefield? The town recently released a report that paints a picture of the downtown area’s business layout.

According to the Downtown Market Assessment Report, personal care and laundry services are the most abundant local downtown businesses type. The second most frequently found establishments is close to a tie between the “eating and drinking places” category and “professional, scientific, and tech.”

Downtown Wakefield is home to about 250 establishments: 51 percent are services; 18 percent are retailers; 14 percent are food and drink establishments; and 11 percent are labeled as “other.”

“There are 48 retail establishments in the downtown including a few national chain stores such as CVS and Dollar Tree, but the vast majority are independently owned, one-of-a-kind businesses,” the report said.

There are also 28 eating and drinking places in the district ranging from coffee shops to sit-down dining; six of these establishments serve Italian food and six serve Chinese. There are 10 “full-service” restaurants,” and nine establishments in the downtown area serve alcohol.

Here is the full ranking of the top 10 most frequently found establishments in downtown Wakefield, according to the report:

1. Personal Care and Laundry - 43 establishments
2. Eating and Drinking Places - 28 establishments
3. Professional, Scientific, and Tech - 25 establishments
4. Finance and Insurance - 19 establishments
5. Repair and Maintenance - 17 establishments
6. Health Care and Social Assistance -15 establishments
7. Utilities, Construction, Manufacturing, and Wholesale - 15 establishments
8. Real Estate and Rental/Leasing - 12 establishments
9. Motor Vehicles and Parts - 11 establishments
10. Clothing and Accessories - seven establishments.

[Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons]