Today we’d like to introduce you to Tommy McCarthy.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Louise and I met in 1986, while we both were playing music on the Boston trad scene and In 1993 we got married on Inishbofin, an Island off of the west coast of Ireland. After traveling around the world for a year or so, we returned to Boston and continued to play in bars around town, until we decided to open our own pub, where we could play music whenever we liked. In 1996, we opened The Burren, in Davis Square, Somerville with a plan to feature live traditional music. Today, The Burren features the most live music in the area, with shows every night as well as some daytime and early evening shows. The Burren is also the largest seller of Guinness in the USA.
Over the years, Louise and I have played with many significant Irish traditional musicians, including: The Chieftains, Altan, Dervish, Sharon Shannon and Lunasa, to name but a few. Often, following a concert in a large venue, they’ll Join us for a session back at The Burren. We have hosted countless musicians & other traveling artists. In fact, there are few contemporary trad musicians who have not performed a concert in the Burren Back Room or joined a lively session in the front bar.
In 2017, with 20 years of experience under our belts, we decided it was time to open another bar with the same dedication to great music and food. When an opportunity came along to get a space on Boylston St., close to Berklee College of Music, we jumped at the chance, and the concept of The Bebop started forming. The location is brilliant, right in the heart of Berklee School of Music & The New England Conservatory of Music. We opened in June 2017 and began to build a great vibe with good food and drinks and music from local music students. Today, we continue to offer a diverse line-up of music nightly and a full menu of great dinner, lunch and brunch favorites.
Has it been a smooth road?
It has been mostly smooth, but as with all businesses, we’ve made some changes over the years to keep up with the times and meet the changing needs of our customer base. Our music has always been focused on traditional music, but over the years, we’ve extended it to world traditional music as well as many other genres. Also, with people taking a more health-conscious approach to food, including Louise and I personally, we have added a large selection of vegetarian and vegan options to our menus.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Great music, food and atmosphere is what we do best. As musicians, we understand the importance of providing a diverse range of music that will appeal to people on all levels. It’s also important to give young musicians a platform to get in front of an audience, and with our proximity to Berklee and New England Conservatory of Music, it’s a perfect fit.
We are also known for our very family friendly environment. Both Louise’s father and My father were musicians and when we were children, they brought us to pubs to hear live music. This is where we developed our love for music. When we had our own child, we did the same with her, and she is also now a musician in her own right. With this in mind, we have always catered to families who want to share this same experience with their children, in a safe and fun environment. The Burren regularly has daytime shows for young children and their families.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Boston is a very competitive market for Bars and Restaurants. If you can find a niche market for what you do best and work really hard at that, you can do really well.
Pricing:
- $7.50 Lunch Special (soup & half sandwich)
- $7 Shepherd’s pie lunch special Monday to Friday for students with a valid ID
- $4 Beer & $5 Shot specials
- Sign up to our email list and enter to win brunch for two
Contact Info:
- Address: The Bebop | 1116 Boylston Street, Boston | Hours: Mon-Fri, 11am-1am, Sat-Sun, 9am-1amThe Burren | 247 Elm Street, Davis Square, Somerville | Hours: Mon-Thur, 11:30am-1am, Fri-Sat, 9 am-2am, Sun, 9am-1am
- Website: thebebopboston.com | burren.com
- Phone: Bebop: 857-250-4641 | Burren: 617-776-6896
- Email: https://www.thebebopboston.com/ | http://burren.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebebopboston/ | https://www.instagram.com/theburrenbar/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBebopBoston/ | https://www.facebook.com/Burrenpub/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheBebopBoston | https://twitter.com/burrenmusic?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-bebop-boston | https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-burren-somerville
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