Out with the Old, In with the New Year

January 15, 2026
• As 2026 gets underway, Needham business owners and leaders set goals and reflect on the past year.

Scott McCourt, owner of The Common Room in Needham Center, looks back on a particularly successful 2025. He recalls the night before Thanksgiving, when business defied his expectations.

“That’s a traditional night where people who come back to their hometown might gather, and we know that,” McCourt said. “We expected to be pretty busy. We just couldn’t believe how busy we were.”

McCourt saw a surplus of “a lot of people who were younger, who don’t live around here anymore.” He added that “they chose The Common Room, over a lot of other places they could have gone. And we were fairly new.”

The Common Room opened in March of 2024. As an owner of a newer business, McCourt recognizes the challenge of growing a customer base. He happily noted that “the clientele has been coming in and really enjoying it.”

Looking into the new year, McCourt plans to continue events such as Sunday night Blues Jams, which occur every Sunday from 7-9 p.m. He will also continue screening major sports games — “we’re really rooting for the Patriots, Bruins, Celtics, because when they’re doing well, people love to come out and gather.” The restaurant hosts local team banquets for schools such as St. Sebastian’s School and Babson College, which McCourt said will continue through 2026.

McCourt resolved to “keep doing what [he’s] doing.” He said he believes “you can’t rest on your success. You have to keep moving forward.”

The new year also brings the promise of new beginnings, including for Hayley Stokes, co-owner of The Book Shop of Needham, which is set to open at 283 Chestnut St. in February. As she prepares to open her business, Stokes said she has tried to set achievable goals for the new year.

“Not getting too overwhelmed, connecting with the community and engaging in meaningful conversation with the community,” are among Stokes’ goals, she said. “I love discussing books.”

Like most things, opening a store presents its challenges, and Stokes said she’s bracing for “a learning curve.” But over the course of last year, she’s learned a lot. Now, her focus is on managing her schedule as she prepares for her first day of business.

Event planning is of particular interest for Stokes. Once the store is up and running, she said she aims to start a monthly or bi-monthly bookclub and to host authors.

Patrons can look forward to “both adult authors and children’s book authors” who will give talks and Q&A sessions at the store, Stokes said. The authors will speak on “what got them into writing and what made them love reading when they were younger,” she said.

For Needham Select Board Vice Chair Cathy Dowd, 2026 promises to be “a pretty big year for Needham.” She said she recognizes the town’s accomplishments over the past year, particularly when it comes to planning for the Pollard Middle School renovation project. In the new year, Dowd said she hopes to see forward momentum on that project, as well as the Quiet Zone initiative that would aim to reduce train horn noise in town.

Residents will likely vote on zoning changes relative to Pollard at the Annual Town Meeting this spring. Dowd said she realizes that financing Pollard project is a difficult endeavor, as it requires a raise in taxes. She said she intends to help cultivate a plan that is “cost effective, but still is providing for the best education for our students.”

“Education is really the number one thing that the town spends money on. It’s the number one reason why people move to Needham,” said Dowd, who is a former history and government teacher at Needham High School. “This is a really important obligation of the town, but it will be very expensive.”

Going into the new year, Dowd said providing and maintaining town services for Needham residents is important. That looks like keeping roadways in good shape, creating a vibrant library and supporting seniors. But Pollard reminds top of mind.

“Our biggest thing that we’re hoping to accomplish is getting started on the Pollard school rebuild,” Dowd said. “I think it’s a really important project. Pollard needs to be redone.”

Sylvie Simmons is a student at Pitzer College and graduate of Dana Hall School.