At one time, Boston’s restaurateurs likely wouldn’t have batted their eyes about relocating to the suburbs. But with lower rents, bigger spaces, and a labor pool that can afford to live close to where they work, some are starting to shift away from a city-centric operating model.
For veteran city chefs like Tony Susi of Sage and Erin Miller of Urban Hearth, the city’s energy is unmatched in the suburbs. “If we have this community that’s been so supportive, we want to support them back. We want to stay here,” Miller stated to Boston magazine.
In the past, people also thought suburban diners wouldn’t pay for city-caliber fare. Ian Calhoun knows that sentiment well, having opened 80 Thoreau in Concord back in 2011…