2021's Top Massachusetts Business Stories: Year In Review

MASSACHUSETTS — This week, we're highlighting the top news stories in Massachusetts in 2021. Today, we recap big, interesting and offbeat business stories that made headlines in the Bay State this year.

Marijuana delivery comes to Massachusetts: In June, Massachusetts became the 15th state to allow home delivery of marijuana when a Taunton-based company filled its first order.

Freshly Baked Company was the first to legally deliver recreational cannabis, serving customers in greater Taunton. But other companies soon followed suit, with the state's regulatory arm approving more licenses this summer. Also on Patch: Borat Actor Sues Massachusetts Marijuana Dispensary

Hood removes 'Jimmies' From ice cream's name: HP Hood entered the debate over whether "jimmies," the old New England term for chocolate sprinkles on ice cream, is racist by changing the name of one of its popular ice cream flavors. The Lynnfield-based company changed the name of Brigham's "Just Jimmies" to "Just Sprinkles."

There has been an ongoing debate over the term in recent years, and some smaller ice cream sellers have stopped using it. Officially, the claim that the word jimmies is racist is "unproven," according to Snopes, the fact-checking website that tries to confirm or disprove rumors.

Bad timing for DraftKings: DraftKings, FanDuel, CBS All Access and other internet platforms were hit by service interruptions, preventing people from accessing their sites in several major cities, including Boston, on Superbowl Sunday.

For Boston-based DraftKings, the interruption meant players were unable to place bets through its sports book on the biggest betting day of the year. In addition to its daily fantasy sports games, DraftKings allows betting on games for users in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virgninia, Tennessee, Michigan and Virginia.

Kowloon outlines plans to close Route 1 institution: It's not yet closing time for Kowloon Restaurant, representatives of the Route 1 landmark reassured customers in January. An appearance by members of the Kowloon team at a Saugus Planning Board meeting turned some heads, as the eventual closure and redevelopment of the property was announced.

But that isn't happening for some time. According to a statement, the restaurant is "only planning for the future, which is years, not months, away...The process to get the local boards to do their due diligence and approve any project is not an overnight process. So our family is just getting some preliminary legwork started."

Business stories to look out for in 2022:

• 3G Networks In Massachusetts Shutting Down By End Of 2022
• Krispy Kreme May Give Boston A Second Chance

Supreme court okays MA hospital's firing of unvaccinated workers: The Supreme Court turned away an emergency appeal from employees at the largest hospital system in Massachusetts who objected to the COVID-19 vaccine on religious grounds.

Justice Stephen Breyer did not comment in November when rejecting the request from employees at Mass General Brigham for a religious exemption to the system's vaccine requirement. Lawyers for the employees said in court papers that six have been fired, one has resigned and another was vaccinated in order to remain employed.

Mass General Brigham — which with 80,000 workers is the state's largest private employer — told employees they would be terminated if they did not receive their first shot by Nov. 5.

Celebrity chefs set up shop in Boston: It was another tough year for Massachusetts restaurants, but that did not deter two celebrity chefs from announcing plans to open new, high-end eateries in Boston.

Gordon Ramsay, the celebrity chef known as much for his temper as for his cuisine, opened Ramsay's Kitchen, which took over the 7,000-square-foot space previously occupied by Bar Boulud in the Mandarin Oriental hotel, this fall. Meanwhile,Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto opened Momosan Ramen Boston near Boston's Government Center neighborhood on Causeway Street in October.

Gun makers leave Massachusetts: Smith & Wesson, the gun manufacturer based in Springfield for over a century and a half, said in September it is moving its headquarters out of Massachusetts due to proposed legislation the company said will hurt business. That followed May's announcement by Troy industries, which has been making guns and accessories in Massachusetts since 2003, that it will move its headquarters, manufacturing and 75 jobs to Tennessee.

More Year In Review Coverage On Patch:

• The Top 5 Massachusetts News Stories Of 2021
• The Oddest, Funniest Massachusetts Stories Of 2021
• The Top Massachusetts Celebrity Sightings In 2021
• Notable Massachusetts Deaths In 2021