Tavern in the Square, a favorite neighborhood sports bar for many, will soon expand to four new locations by the end of 2014, making it the fastest growing restaurant in the Greater Boston Area.
The existing six Tavern in the Square bars, known as “TITS” to rowdy college students, each have their own unique atmosphere. While some worry that expanding Tavern in the Square to further locations will detract from the individuality each bar holds, the owners of Tavern in the Square reassure bar-hoppers that their restaurants will not lose their special neighborhood vibe.
Nearing the 10-year anniversary of the bars’ creation, the company’s owners are now adding close to as many locations this year as they did during their first decade. The first tavern was opened in 2004 in Cambridge’s Central Square, a popular draw for MIT and Harvard crowds. It was followed by locations in Porter Square, Salem, Burlington, Allston, and most recently, Newton.
Now, Stephen DeSousa, one of the owners of the company, plans to expand in the Greater Boston area. For weary train travellers, a Tavern in the Square will open right next to South Station. Due to an inability to secure a full liquor license last July, however, this particular location will only be a small, limited-service bar, closing nightly at 11 p.m. The other three locations DeSousa plans for will be larger full service bars next to North Station on Causeway St., on Main St. in Northborough, and at a new shopping center in Littleton.
The company’s great success at its current locations makes this expansion feasible. While normally limited to investing and financing one bar at a time, DeSousa says the company is finding it much easier to secure financing for multiple new locations at once. This opportunity, compounded with the demand for more of these bars, makes expansion hard to resist. DeSousa also says that landlords and commercial developers are looking more and more to build new locations because of the great success of the company. Tavern in the Square restaurants are popular with many types of people, making them attractive for both families and regular bar-goers. DeSousa describes the restaurants to be “upscale casual”—a bar atmosphere that is apparently in high demand in the Boston area.
To accommodate for the rapid growth in the company, Tavern in the Square plans to open its first corporate headquarters in Twin-City Plaza in Cambridge. Additionally, partners Joey Arcari and Renato Valentin will soon join DeSousa. Arcari also runs several other popular restaurants separately from Tavern in the Square, including the Boston Beer Garden, the Playwright, and the Joshua Tree.
Some worry, however, that the expansion of Tavern in the Square will leave a “chain-restaurant” taste on the company. The idea of a growing corporate aspect of the company disturbs some locals and they worry that the existing restaurants will lose their charm. Most people enjoy their neighborhood Tavern in the Square for its town-specified uniqueness. With more locations opening so quickly, some Boston area residents think that Tavern in the Square will just become another generic restaurant-bar. Many feel that they would opt for a smaller and quainter neighborhood bar if Tavern in the Square became too universal and commercialized.
The owners of Tavern in the Square disagree with this view, however, stating in the Boston Business Journal that they are “determined to maintain the company’s locally oriented approach, even as it expands significantly.” De Sousa remarks that “each location has a slightly different feel,” and that this local uniqueness is something they will strive to preserve in each neighborhood they move to. DeSousa also points out that Tavern in the Square is not a corporate owned franchise.
“We’re still just a group of three guys,” he said. “We’re in those restaurants every single day.”