The weekend's nor'easter was still hanging over the Seaport on Monday, September 28, but it didn't keep Boston's restaurant and hospitality community home. Owners, operators, developers, regulators, and advisors filled The Exchange for the 32nd annual Restaurant Trends--Ruberto, Israel & Weiner's signature industry event since 1993. Three expert panels on government affairs, construction, and expansion painted a picture of an industry under real financial pressure, but one where demand is strong and operators who plan carefully are still finding ways to grow.

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Government Affairs: Navigating Policy in Boston & Massachusetts

RIW Restaurant and Hospitality Chair Adam Barnosky moderated a candid conversation with Kathleen Joyce, Chairwoman of the Boston Licensing Board; Stephen Clark, President of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association; and Jean Lorizio, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC).

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Steve didn't sugarcoat the state of the industry. Sales across the Commonwealth are largely flat, and rising energy, health insurance, occupancy, and food costs have left the average restaurant with a margin of roughly 3%. The bright spot is the guest: consumers still want to dine out, and Steve urged operators to meet them wherever and whenever they want to spend. The regulators echoed that cautious optimism. Commissioner Lorizio said applications for new businesses, transfers, and expansions have held steady, and Chairwoman Joyce noted the Licensing Board's agendas are getting longer, though some newcomers walk away once they see the true cost of buildout, staffing, and approvals.

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Boston's summer pilots for extended hours and social districts drew a lot of discussion. Of roughly 200 licensees who applied for extended hours, about half used the extra hour. Downtown and late-night spots saw real gains, while others found the staffing costs outweighed the benefit. One unexpected win was public safety: later closings created a rolling departure instead of a 2 a.m. surge onto the streets. Stakeholders support extending the program, and provisions in the pending economic development bill could do just that.

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About 18 months into Boston's rollout of 225 new neighborhood-restricted licenses, the city has issued about 80, with at least one in every eligible ZIP code, thanks to steady, hands-on outreach. Proposals to eliminate municipal license quotas drew a strong response from Clark. For many owners, especially retiring baby boomers, a liquor license is their retirement plan and often the collateral behind their loans, so any change has to account for that value. Commissioner Lorizio added that only 15 of the state's 351 cities and towns have opted into the new law allowing beer-and-wine licenses to be upgraded to all-alcohol.

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The ABCC has also expanded its support for operators, with local training sessions, how-to videos embedded in every application, and FAQs in 11 languages. The panel closed on drink-spiking prevention, agreeing that guest safety comes first, but that operators working on thin margins can't absorb the cost of every new mandate.

 

Expansion: Scaling Your Concept the Right Way

Emcee Andy Rosenbloom guided the second panel with RIW Franchise Group Chair Eric Sigman; Brian Piccini, Owner and CEO of Boston Urban Hospitality; and Mark Cimino, President of Consolidated Concepts, a procurement company that works with roughly 950 restaurant chains.

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The panel opened with the most common growth mistakes. Eric pointed to committing before you're ready and underestimating the time and cost of licensing, leases, and build-out. Brian cited not being willing to walk away from a deal, and Mark highlighted the supply chain: operators often assume their distributors can deliver the same products to a new location, which isn't always true. Mark shared a cautionary tale of a successful Boston chain that expanded to Philadelphia, Chicago, and D.C., only to lose control of pricing, distribution, and consistency.

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Brian was candid about his own path. His first three restaurants were distinct concepts built around specific neighborhoods and talent, and when he did replicate a brand, his South End and downtown locations ended up competing with each other. He has since stayed in Boston, where he has the same distributors, reps, and counsel behind every location, and has passed on offers in markets he didn't fully understand. Eric said a first location is ready for a sibling when it's stable and can run without the owner there all the time. Before committing to a site, he urged operators to do their diligence on zoning, permitting, build-out feasibility, personal guarantees, and lease assignability. His simple test: if you have one location, a large loan, a large lease, and little cash, you're probably not ready to grow.

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The panel agreed that culture and consistency have to scale together. Brian said rebuilding his teams after the pandemic was his hardest challenge, and he now looks for people with a growth mindset who want to rise with the company. For Eric, it comes down to one question: can you teach someone else to run your business as well as you do?

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AI made its first appearance of the day. Mark described Consolidated Concepts' secure AI platform, Collective IQ, and Brian shared how he used AI to compare insurance policies as premiums skyrocketed. Everyone agreed that human judgment still matters most. As Brian put it, no software can replace a great host finding a way to seat a walk-in at 7 p.m. on a Saturday.

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The session ended with a lightning round in which panelists and audience members finished the sentence "Don't open location #2 until…" Answers ranged from "location #1 is solid and self-sustaining" to "you're ready to work twice as hard for even longer" to "you own the property."

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Construction: Building for the Restaurant Industry

RIW President Bradley Croft moderated a practical conversation with Eric Gelfond, VP of Development & Construction at Sally's Apizza; Ryan Little, Owner of RECOR Development; and Jessica Haley, Principal & Director of Interior Design at RODE Architects. Brad set the tone with an analogy: taking on a construction project without a solid contract is like carrying your phone without a protective case.

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The panel's top piece of advice was to bring in your architect and a contractor with restaurant experience before you sign a lease. Eric explained that the biggest unknowns come from the site itself, especially second- and third-generation spaces where no one knows what's behind the walls. Jessica urged owners not to skimp on upfront due diligence, since a structural issue discovered mid-construction costs far more than one found early. Required systems like kitchen equipment and HVAC leave little room for savings, and Eric noted that roughly two-thirds of a build-out goes into the back of house, leaving about a third for everything the guest experiences. Ryan's best budget tip: build a complete budget before construction starts, down to the smallwares and that first food delivery.

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On contracts, the panel compared stipulated sum, cost plus fee, and guaranteed maximum price models. Brad noted a clear trend toward GMPs, while Eric said there's no perfect model, just the right fit for each site and lease. Brad's most important budget advice came from his experience litigating projects that go sideways: designate someone to carefully review every payment application to make sure money isn't going out ahead of the work.

Schedule is closely tied to the lease, so delays carry real costs in rent, loans, and personal guarantees. 

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Brad closed with three takeaways:

1. Know your contractor. Look beyond price to reputation and restaurant experience.

2. Don't make payment promises to subcontractors. Route those conversations through your contractor or design professional.

3. Review every payment application. Massachusetts projects with a general contract over $3 million are also subject to the state's prompt pay law.

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After a full afternoon of programming, guests wrapped up the day with cocktails, appetizers, and views of a foggy Boston Harbor. It was the perfect setting to catch up with old friends, make new connections, and keep the day's conversations going.

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Restaurant Trends wouldn't be possible without the support of our sponsors: CBIZ, Cafco Construction Management, LLC, Liquor License Advisor, and Mass Restaurants United. We were also thrilled to see so much support in the room for Spoonfuls and their mission to rescue good food and get it to the people who need it most. Thank you to our panelists, our moderators, and everyone who braved the rain to join us!