FSR April 2023

On the Rise BY BEN COLEY

Becoming an Independent Thinker Broadway Hospitality finds prosperous growth in energetic, urban environments with a group of single-unit all-stars.

ONE OF Broadway Hospitality’s great est lessons over the years is that all res taurants aren’t created equal. The Boston-based company started with Tavern in the Square in 2004 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, led by Irish

immigrant Joey Arcari and Brazilian native Renato Val entim. Steven DeSousa, who serves as CEO, started as a bar manager but worked his way up to partner. Tavern in the Square opened one store every two or three years in the beginning. As the con cept expanded, Broadway Hospitality found success going deeper into the sub

ESTABLISHED: 2017 FOUNDERS: Joey Arcari, Stephen DeSousa, and Renato Valentim HQ: South Boston

BROADWAY HOSPITALITY IS PARENT TO FOUR INDEPENDENT RESTAURANTS AND ABOUT 12 TAVERN IN THE SQUARE LOCATIONS ACROSS MASSACHUSETTS, CONNECTICUT, AND RHODE ISLAND.

UNIT COUNT: 16 CUISINE: Modern American

in places that are young, inspired, innovative, tons

heavier entrées since younger attendees prefer to go out and drink as opposed to eating hearty meals. There’s live music and DJs; DeSousa says one could go to The Broadway on a Saturday at noon and it’d feel like a Friday night at the club. In 2019, Broadway Hospitality opened The Derby in Salem, Massa chusetts, which DeSousa describes as a close-knit town. The restaurant reflects this culture by providing a local, low-key “hangout type” bar instead of a place to party. The Mercantile, which debuted last year in Worchester, Massachusetts, is based in a 13,000-square-foot build ing with two floors, including a roof deck and bar. The concept attracts diverse guests—younger consumers, families, business clients, and date nights. The

urbs where demographics are more fam ily-driven and casual. At the same time, the company discovered that in urban settings, particularly Boston, custom ers don’t receive chain restaurants that well. They think of lesser quality, loss of independence, cookie cutter, and rou tine, DeSousa says. While Tavern in the Square has mul tiple stores, Broadway never intended to give off this vibe. It wants guests to see it as a local restaurant group that feels familiar, comfortable, and consistent. That’s when the growth strategy shifted. “We wanted to keep opening in the city,” says DeSousa. “We wanted to be

of energy, and that’s when we decided that we needed to do an independent restaurant.” The first, called The Broadway, came in 2017. It’s based in South Boston, an area akin to Silicon Valley, DeSousa says. The restaurant is surrounded by millennials and Gen Z customers in their early-to-mid 20s. They live there for about five to six years and go out six to seven nights per week. The Broadway is housed in a 9,000-square-foot indus trial-sized space that’s filled with a lively environment and innovative drinks. The food focuses on appetizers, sandwiches, salads, and bowls, and not as much on

ANDREW LOMBARDOZZI

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FSRMAGAZINE.COM

APRIL 2023