Bistro Poplar opened December 31, 2007, after a year of construction. The bistro is located in the historic Hopkins Building, which dates back to 1895. The building originally contained two storefronts on the first floor and one apartment on the second floor. Over the past 100 years, the building has been home to a variety of businesses, including an insurance office, a beauty shop, land surveyors, a law office, and an amusement equipment rental company. The Hopkins Building was also home to the original location of Lednum's Jewelers and the newspaper, The Dorchester Star.