So, You Want to Build a Raw Bar?

Here's how we turned a parking lot in Boston into a Raw Bar in 30 days

The Seaport Raw Bar wasn’t our first rodeo when it comes to building restaurants. But no two experiences are the same. Our most recent hospitality outpost has been open in Boston’s Seaport neighborhood for a whole three weeks, so we finally have a free moment tell the tale of how we made it happen in just 30 days. *As recounted by Director of Hospitality, Jess Cagle.

coming soon...

Every project begins with PERMITTING.

This project was unique in nature since we were essentially turning a parking lot into a restaurant. First, we must figure out what permits we needed. But which ones? How do you get a building permit when there’s no building..? It’s a restaurant, but doesn’t have walls (which is how they normally come), and it’s not a food truck which does have walls. For us, it was fully uncharted territory so we enlisted the help of well practiced pros who have done this before.

Shipping Containers and the path of least resistance

Given then nature of our erm, parking lot, using shipping containers seemed like the path of least resistance to getting this space built. With this tight timeline in mind, we were told that sourcing would be our biggest challenge.

Luckily, one of our longtime bar regulars happened to have a company that specialized in flipping shipping containers into food service operations. We bought every container he had and begged and borrowed to get more.

A Village of Empty Containers ✅ Now what?

We have ~10 empty metal husks that now have to be hooked up with electricity and water; a known hazard-free combination.

Once supplied with plumbing etc, it’s time to fill the containers with enough equipment, refers, cooktops, and storage to support the theoretical menu you’ve written. The interior dimensions of the space after all that equipment is installed, leaves you with a ship’s galley (arg) to feed the upwards of 700 guests that will hopefully flow through your space per day.

Decor

Now it’s time to figure out to how to make this parking lot look less like a parking lot!

You’ll get cozy with various turf samples; a task more complex than what you might assume due to varying turf heights, densities, colors...

Instead of thoughtfully picking through miles of antique treasures at the Brimfield Flea Market as we’ve done for other projects, all of the furniture and kitchen equipment are ordering based on shipping speed - the faster the better.

When the wrong items are sent, instead of focusing on the amazing service you’ll provide to your guests, you’ll spend the first day of staff training re-assembling tables that were express shipped overnight and fishing Allen wrenches out of the aforementioned astroturf.

Oysters with caviar, sushi, green goddess dip with chips

Food & Bev

You learn what your customers’ likes and dislikes very quickly. Duxbury dads are almost exclusively interested in IPAs, whereas the Seaport crowd is much more interested in so-called porch pounders

Staffing

OH and then there's staffing. You have to hire 75 people in 2 weeks. During the interview process, yo'u’ll be asked questions like:

“How much do people make here?” (Fucked if I know)

“What are the shift in times?” (This question, you kind of know the answer to, but you also know that everything you know will likely change once you open)

“What time will rain closure decisions be made?” (Uh next question)

Opening Week

Your first weekend will be met with gale force wind and rain. The custom neon signs that cover each container will all start to fall off the walls. One will even catch on fire.

At the end of that first week, you'll also have hit capacity multiple times. The team will have shucked approximately 11,380 oysters, served 661 Hot Dogs (155 with caviar on top), and poured 8,377 beverages.

All of this work for the restaurant (without walls) to close for the season in early October, where you’ll pack everything up (and store it where?) – all the shipping containers, the neon signs, the yards of astroturf – and return the space into its former parking lot glory... until next summer. See you there?