Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Freeman.
Chris, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
After graduate school, I started in Operations at Burger King Corporation, which is what initially launched my career in the food industry. While I was climbing the corporate ladder, I always felt like something was missing. I loved the people I worked with and the work I was doing, but I wanted to take my career in a more health-conscious direction.
On a trip to Boston, I met with the founders of B.Good and was introduced to the world of fast-casual dining. I joined a private group in Zurich, Switzerland and launched the first international B.Good restaurants in Europe. While abroad, I went on a month-long trip throughout Southeast Asia and fell in love with the street food that was offered there. That trip sparked the concept for Grainmaker.
Eventually, I decided to move back to the United States and, more specifically Boston, because of the love I have for this city. We found that Boston doesn’t have a lot of home-grown, truly local concepts here, so we are proud to be a part of that category.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
We are perfectionists. With regards to our food and our service, we want every guest’s experience to be perfect every single time. We know that that isn’t always realistic, but we maintain that mentality.
If we try to be a perfect 10 out of 10 and set the bar high, we can still deliver a great overall experience by hitting an 8 out of 10 if we miss out somewhere. Our people are the most important thing to us. We can have the best food in the world, but if we didn’t have the right people, our flagship never would have set sail.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Grainmaker – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
What we are most proud of is also what sets us apart, just how truly local we are.
Grainmaker was developed with the help of local Bostonians. We posted surveys every week to the Boston community and received nearly 300 participants. Everything from the name, the colors, the logo, to the wall murals – it all reflects the preferences of Bostonians while staying true to our concept and values. We also pride ourselves on serving local food and partnering with local businesses. The few things we do not make in-house, we outsource to local partners.
How do you, personally, define success? What’s your criteria, the markers you’re looking out for, etc.?
To me, the true measure of success is whether you’re impacting the lives around you. I view Grainmaker not only as a restaurant but also as a platform for making a greater impact on our community. Our core mantra is to “change lives through food” and I truly believe we can do that.
Pricing:
- Entrees range from $8.50 to $10.25
- Street Sides range from $2.25 to $5
- House-made Beverages range from $3 to $6.50
Contact Info:
- Address: 91 Summer Street, Boston, MA
- Website: www.eatgrainmaker.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/eatgrainmaker
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/eatgrainmaker
Image Credit:
Regan Cleminson
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
