JUNE 2025
.png)
Hospitality Insights & Trends
Restaurant Trends Social
On May 19th RIW celebrated its 31st annual Restaurant Trends with a cocktail party at SPIN Boston! As the firm’s signature springtime event, Restaurant Trends has taken many forms over the past 30+ years; its presentation has evolved, the format has shifted, and the look and feel have changed with the times. But one thing has remained constant: it brings together Boston’s restaurant and hospitality community for an evening of celebration, connection, and good cheer.
Thank you to everyone who joined us to keep the tradition going and help us spotlight the incredible work of Spoonfuls, whose mission to combat food insecurity through food rescue is more important than ever. It was an evening full of conversations about exciting projects on the horizon, new partnerships taking shape, and reconnecting with familiar faces while making new connections across the industry!
A big thank you to CBIZ, Liquor License Advisor, and Cafco Construction Management for their generous sponsorship and ongoing commitment to the industry. Their partnership helps make this possible, and we are so appreciative.
Here's to many more years of connection, collaboration, and celebration through Restaurant Trends!
​
Learn more about the history of Restaurant Trends and our past events here.
Just because a liquor license transfer gets approved doesn’t mean it’s free of strings. Buyers can still be held responsible for the seller’s unpaid bills, such as distributor debts, state taxes, or outstanding loans, which may follow the license even after the deal closes. Adam Barnosky breaks down the top risks and offers tips to help you avoid surprises. ​
​
Read more​
.png)
National Restaurant Association Consumer Outlook
​The National Restaurant Association has released its Consumer Outlook Report, which features the latest trends that impact consumers’ ability and willingness to spend, including economic indicators, restaurant industry sales, store traffic, job growth, and more.
​
Read more​
RECOMMENDED LISTENING
Restuarant Unstoppable: 3 Reasons Restaurants Fail with Technology Onboarding feat. Jeremy Julien
May 29, 2025
​​
​In this episode, Eric Cacciatore sits down with Jeremy Julien, host of the Restaurant Technology Guys podcast and CRO at CBS NorthStar. With 20+ years in restaurant tech, Jeremy shares insights and interviews experts to help operators use digital tools to improve efficiency and guest experience. Their conversation covers Jeremy’s three reasons restaurants fail with technology onboarding, and why it’s important to view technology initiatives not as a cost, but as an investment into your people, your business, and your growth.
​
​
INSIDE RIW
-
Hospitality Group Chair, Adam Barnosky, attended the MAPSI ProStart Invitational
UPCOMING
-
​New England Restaurant and Bar Show: RIW will be providing 15 minute Legal Information Sessions in the Massachusetts Restaurant Association booth (#?). Sign up for yours here!
RECOMMENDED READING
Restaurant Kid: A Memoir of Family and Belonging
by Rachel Phan​​​
A warm and poignant narrative about finding one’s self amidst the grind of restaurant life, the cross-generational immigrant experience, and a daughter’s attempts to connect with parents who have always been just out of reach.
At age three, Rachel met her replacement; not a sibling, but the restaurant that would define her family’s life. For her parents, who fled war in China and Vietnam, it was a dream realized. For Rachel, it marked a quiet shift to the sidelines.
​
Growing up in the shadow of the business, Rachel witnessed the pride and sacrifice it demanded: broken dishes, worn-down bodies, and love expressed more through labor than words. She learned to be the “good daughter,” the perfect Canadian, the girl who fit into everyone else’s expectations but never quite her own.
​
Now, thirty-one years after their restaurant first opened, Rachel's parents are cautiously talking about retirement. As an adult restaurant kid, Rachel’s good daughter role demands something new of her—a chance to get to know her parents on the trip of a lifetime.
​
CLIENT NEWS
Congratulations to RIW clients:
​
-
Kristin Canty on her recent feature in Eater Boston. Canty, who owns Woods Hill Pier 4, plans to expand her footprint in the Seaport by opening another restaurant and food market, The Block, this summer. The Block will offer locally sourced meats, cheeses, and produce, all from Canty's family farm in New Hampshire. Read the full article here.
-
Kristin Jenkins on the opening of her new dining destination, The Essex and Essex Rooftop, located in Boston's Cambria Hotel. The Essex brings together a thoughtfully crafted and locally inspired menu, sweeping skyline views, and a vibrant atmosphere that's perfect for everything from early breakfast meetings to rooftop cocktails at sunset. Visit for breakfast and dinner daily, with lunch on the weekends.
-
The Mount Vernon Company, who acquired the historic John Carver Inn & Spa in Plymouth, MA. This beloved 80-room hotel is the latest addition to Mount Vernon’s growing hospitality portfolio and marks another bold step in their vision-driven approach to real estate. Read more about the acquisition here.
-
Woods Hill Pier 4 (Best Neighborhood Restaurant, Seaport), Brassica Kitchen (Best Neighborhood Restaurant, Jamaica Plain), and Row 34 (Best Seafood) for being named to Boston Magazine's annual Best of Boston list.
INSIDE RIW
-
Bethany Grazio attended the Massachusetts Restaurant Association's Women in Hospitality Retreat in May, where she connected with a community of hospitality industry professionals dedicated to growth, leadership, and inclusion.
-
Ryan Clemens joined RIW's Restaurant & Hospitality and Commercial Real Estate Groups in May! Ryan brings a wealth of experience including advising applicants and municipalities and appearing before boards and commissions regarding land use applications and appeals.
-
Eric Sigman participated on the RIW team at the Lawyers Have Heart 5k, which raises money for the American Heart Association.
-
RIW sponsored Massachusetts Restaurant United's 2nd annual Breaking Boundaries in Hospitality event, which brought together leading voices from across the industry to explore innovation, resilience, and equity in hospitality.