From Last Call to All Day: What's Moving Into Lexington Liquors' Old Storefront
September 24, 2026
September 24, 2026
Walk past 7 Depot Square this month and you'll see papered windows and a Google listing that still reads "permanently closed." The storefront has sat quiet since Lexington Liquors shut its doors, a small gap in a corner of the Center that most people pass on the way to the commuter rail or the bike path without a second look. Behind those windows, though, permits are moving, and plans for the storefront's next chapter are taking shape.
By winter, the same owners who ran the liquor store plan to reopen the space as Commune All Day Cafe. The new sign is only part of the story: the space is changing from a liquor store to an all-day cafe.
Sam and Kinnari Patel aren't new to this corner of town. The Lexington Observer reports that they owned Lexington Liquors and have also run Turnpike Market, a restaurant and liquor store up the road in Billerica, for the past 12 years. They decided to convert the space themselves instead of handing it off to another operator.
The Lexington Observer quoted Sam: "Even though we didn't get the start we needed with Lexington Liquors, this concept, it's huge. Nobody under 21 will step into a liquor store, whereas everyone will walk into this concept and they'll have food."
Commune plans to open from early morning until 10 p.m., offering food and a place to sit.
Commune's first location, at The Val in Billerica, opened this past June, and the Patels have said the Lexington spot will look nearly identical inside. That gives residents a real preview rather than a guess. The coffee program runs on George Howell beans with cold brew sourced from Rhode Island's The Nitro Bar. Smoothies can be boosted with Promix protein, and the kitchen skips fried food and seed oils across the board.
Sam has described the range himself: come in for masala chai and samosas in the morning, swing by midday for hummus or chips and guacamole, or settle in for a French croissant and cappuccino if that's more your pace. The fuller list, confirmed by the owners, includes:
The dedicated kids' menu is one part of Commune's range of food offerings.
Depot Square sits close enough to the Minuteman Bikeway that Commune's plans reportedly include enough seating for a cyclist to stop for a quick smoothie mid-ride, right alongside a family settling in for a full meal. Commune's extended hours provide another option throughout the day.
Kinnari, who picked every material and finish herself, has described the space as light and bright but still cozy, the kind of interior meant to hold someone for twenty minutes or two hours without feeling like they've overstayed.
The Lexington Observer quoted Sandhya Iyer, Lexington's economic development and tourism director, as saying:
"We are thrilled to welcome Commune to the heart of Lexington Center. Small businesses like Commune play an important role in creating welcoming community spaces, supporting local economic vitality, and strengthening Lexington as a destination for tourism, recreation, and connection."
That's not boilerplate. The vacancy at 7 Depot Square sat unfilled for a stretch, and Commune's planned hours and menu will give the Center another all-day option.
The Center has seen another recent storefront change as well. A few blocks over, Post 1917 Lexington opened at 27 Waltham Street last year, another Center storefront that changed hands and reopened under a new concept within the past twelve months. Two storefronts turning over in quick succession doesn't prove a trend by itself, but it does mean the daily mix of the Center is shifting even for residents who have no plans to buy or sell anything.
As of now, the Patels are still working through permitting, and no firm date has been set beyond "winter 2026." They're also pursuing a liquor license for the new location, which would let Commune serve beer and wine alongside its coffee and smoothie menu. There's something fitting in that detail: the storefront that once sold only alcohol may end up serving it again, just as one option on a much longer list rather than the only reason to walk in.
If you want the exact opening date before it shows up on a sandwich board outside, the Lexington Observer has been following the project closely and is worth a bookmark. The Patels have also mentioned a third Commune location planned for Carlisle, though no site or timeline has been announced there yet.
Lexington Center doesn't turn over its storefronts often, and when it does, the reasons are usually worth knowing even if you're not in the market for a house. The planned all-day cafe, with its kids' menu and bikeway seating, would give residents another place to eat and spend time in the Center.
If you're keeping an eye on this corner of Lexington for other reasons, whether that's a move within town or a step toward one, Martha Sevigny has spent two decades paying attention to exactly these kinds of details. Schedule a confidential consultation whenever the timing feels right.
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