Blue Square Pizza Nears Debut as First Restaurant at The Block Natick
The Block Natick Center nears its dining debut as Blue Square Pizza prepares to open first, joining Nhau, San Sushi Bar and Bun + Bao. Read the full story.
Prajakta Sanjay Warwadkar 
NATICK, Massachusetts, June 12, 2026 — Blue Square Pizza is preparing to open as the first restaurant at The Block, the mixed-use development at One South Main Street in Natick Center, according to a MetroWest Daily News report describing the project as a "new age kind of retail." The pizzeria leads a dining lineup that also includes Vietnamese restaurant Nhau, San Sushi Bar and takeout concept Bun + Bao.
The debut marks a turning point for the downtown site. Developer Stuart Rothman broke ground on The Block in 2023 after a 2019 fire destroyed the previous structure, and the brick, multi-coloured building now anchors the heart of Natick Center opposite Natick Common.
The Block Natick Center Builds an Eatery-Led Lineup
The development positions food as its main draw, combining eateries, retail, community space and art. North Shore restaurateur Sa Nguyen, owner of the Soall Viet Kitchen restaurants in Marblehead and Beverly, is behind three of the four announced concepts.
Nhau, named for the Vietnamese term for social drinking, will seat about 50 guests and feature a full bar with shareable dishes. San Sushi Bar will occupy roughly 1,000 square feet at the corner of West Central and South Main, while Bun + Bao will run as a takeout-focused Asian street food shop connected to the sushi bar by a pass-through window.
Blue Square Pizza Expands With Third Massachusetts Location
Founder Troy Sproul launched Blue Square Pizza in Hopkinton in 2022 and opened a second location in Northborough in July 2025. The brand won Pizza Today's Startup Pizzeria of the Year and Top Use of Technology awards in 2023 and climbed to No. 40 on Pizza Marketplace's Top 100 Movers and Shakers list in 2025.
The 877-square-foot Natick unit is built mainly for off-premise service, targeting pickup times of 15 to 20 minutes during peak hours. The menu spans four pizza styles, including Detroit-style pies with caramelised edges, thin grandma-style squares, cracker-thin Chicago tavern rounds and New York slices.
Troy Sproul, founder of Blue Square Pizza, said the move represents a deliberate next step for the brand, with growth focused on operational consistency. The company's listings already show the Natick address at 1 S. Main St. alongside its Hopkinton and Northborough shops, according to Blue Square Pizza's official website.
Natick Center Bets on Dining-Driven Development
The Block reflects a wider shift among suburban developers toward experience-led, food-anchored projects rather than conventional retail. Its location steps from Natick Common places the venues beside farmers markets, concerts and year-round community programming, details confirmed on The Block's official website.
The surrounding trade area supports the bet, with a population above 137,000 and average household income over $143,000 within five miles. A successful debut could accelerate leasing across the project's remaining retail and flex spaces.
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