Today we’d like to introduce you to Douglas Burke.
Douglas, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I have been in the restaurant industry for just over 24 years. I have worked a ton of different aspects of the industry over the years all over the country. In 2011 I joined the Tavern In The Square restaurant group as a bartender and worked several locations through 2013. I began managing at Tavern In The Square South Station and in the summer of 2015 I was approached by several of the owners with the opportunity to get in from the ground up on a new East LA inspired restaurant they were about to open. The idea to me was truly exciting and right up the my alley as I had spent most of my 20s and early 30s in San Diego and had a love for So-Cal inspired Mexican food and to be truly honest I had spent many years looking for the “perfect” carne asada in Boston.
As a restaurant we are located in the “old Clarks” space in South Station. Our menu and atmosphere are inspired by the food, sounds, culture, and colors of East LA. Out the gates we knew we were bringing something different to the city with our food being completely different to the Tex Mex most Bostonians are accustomed to. We also intended to be more of an experience and atmosphere than many would expect in a train station. We hired an artist, Marka 27, Victor Quinoz to add East LA Latin culture inspired graffiti murals to the walls and Amanda Wilshire of Colorado to build us a donkey made completely out of Mexican Beer cans.
Has it been a smooth road?
Establishing ourselves as a restaurant in a train station as well as bringing a completely outside the box style of Mexican food to Boston has been a trip. The most complicated parts is coaching new guests through the menu and educating them on our “outside the box” approach to East LA Mexican Food. Items like our Walking Tacos, an open faced bag of Cool Ranch Doritos topped with our house flavors and you choice of salsa, along with our spicy slaw (cabbage and house pickle carrots and onions), crema Fresca, and our house blend of Chihuahua, Vermont Cheddar, and Memonita cheeses takes a little guidance and coaching to make sure a guests gets the whole experience. Also the size of our kitchen was a definite obstacle out the gates, in which our Chef, Eric Leblanc had to figure out what worked for us and what we could actually achieve within such tight confines.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Tavitas-A Mexican Joint story. Tell us more about the business.
As a restaurant we want to be edgy and “bad ass” and try new things. From the front of the house to the back of the house we are a family and we work very well together through respect, coaching, and dedication. Being a located in a train station is a blessing and a curse. We see thousands of passers-by day in and day out from travelers to commuters. We also see a lot of the same faces at the same time every day. It is our goal to make sure that the commuters go back to work and say how outside the box and awesome we are around the water cooler and we want every traveler to forget they are in a train station. Many of our regulars refer to us as a “Cheers” type of bar. We make it a priority to learn guests’ names and always aim to provide an awesome atmosphere. I think the thing that sets us apart other than the great food and drinks is our team and every member of the Tavitas Family takes great pride in what we accomplish day in and day out.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The industry is constantly changing, from cocktails to beers to burgers and bistros, I believe Boston is focused on making sure it stays up to date on trending items but always wants to stay artsy and creative in order to stay ahead of the curve. The industry is tough these days. One of my favorite parts of the industry right now is the return of the “bartender”. Years ago bartending and serving was a trade and people took great pride in what they did and it was a job not just a way to earn extra cash. Somewhere along the line that changed, there was always the lifer that took great pride in what they did but there was also an entitled version that knew they would make their money between 11pm and 2am so “customer service” wasn’t important. In Boston especially, this is becoming something of the past. With more competition and stronger knowledge and respect for the game, service throughout restaurants is the key to a strong location. I see food continuing on its path. With increased focus on healthy food with flavor and style joined by cultural infusions and outside the box creations. The best part of Boston’s restaurant scene is the options and the respect this city has for the industry.
Contact Info:
- Address: Tavitas-A mexican Joint
650 Atlantic Ave
Boston MA 02110 - Website: www.tavitas.com
- Phone: (858)302-7001
- Email: info@tavitas.com
Image Credit:
Rachel Morissey
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