Today we’d like to introduce you to Harold Paine.
Harold, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I retired from running large scale construction projects at the end of 2013 and quickly realized I needed to occupy myself with something challenging to fill my time. During the previous five or so years I had developed a keen interest in cooking and had spent a large amount of time and energy learning from every source possible. I befriended several chefs, took classes at culinary schools & toured Italy learning from Italian cooks. I also studied the financial side of the business and consulted with several restaurants in an effort to help organize their financial approaches and help them to better understand the intricacies of the “business side” of the business. Having this passion, experience and time I decided that perhaps a restaurant was the right pursuit for my “retirement project”. With this in mind I began searching for a turnkey restaurant in the area that had the right mix of atmosphere, cuisine and appeal. After much searching I came across Bridgeman’s restaurant in Hull. It had a great reputation, was turnkey, has amazing views of the ocean and great food. After some negotiation and a bit of time my wife and I completed the purchase and took possession of Bridgeman’s on January 1st of 2015. One of the main reasons we decided to purchase a turnkey restaurant was to allow us to really learn the business while eliminating some of the learning curve associated with starting a new restaurant for scratch. My plan was to learn the business, and, after I had developed a feel for the geography, the customers, and the staff re-concept the restaurant to make it “mine”. I spent the first year and half doing just that. In September of 2016 I decided to make the leap and began the design of the new concept. The existing restaurant is two floors with a large outdoor patio and was fine dining with Italian cuisine. My new plan was to renovate the downstairs dining room to provide a more comfortable and casual setting while leaving the upstairs dining area with the more formal feel. I also planned to rework the menu to provide lower pricing while still maintaining the high quality of the cuisine. I finalized the design and menu in mid-October and closed the restaurant for 6 days to complete the transformation. On October 31st we reopened as Rinato Bistro (Rinato means reborn in Italian). The re-brand and re-concept efforts have been highly praised by our customers and was well received by the community.
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?
For the most part the transition and subsequent re-branding have gone as anticipated. Of course there have been numerous struggles and unforeseen obstacles along the way including the following:
The critical shortage of qualified front and back of the house applicants in the area
The extremes we have experienced in weather over the past couple of years (record snowfalls, record high temperatures, etc.)
The continuing trend for customers to insist on having items comped for even the slightest error
The brutality of some of the customer reviews
The difficulty developing a long term and loyal staff when there are so many open positions in the local area
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Rinato Bistro story. Tell us more about the business.
Rinato Bistro is located in Hull and occupies the former Bridgeman’s Restaurant location right on Nantasket Beach. Our main goal is to deliver warm hospitality with great food, lots of choices and reasonable prices. One of the first things you will notice about Rinato Bistro is the newly remodeled downstairs, giving the restaurant a cozy, pub-like feel. Guests are welcomed to our beautiful custom hardwood tables, able to choose from our intimate fireplace tables, chef’s tables next to the open kitchen reminiscent of an Italian grotto or high top bar tables for a front row view of the game. The downstairs bar area includes craft local beers on tap (including this area’s favorite – Hingham’s own, Entitled IPA), unique crafted cocktails (try the Peddock’s Island!) and large high definition televisions, where guests can join my wife, Denise, as she cheers on her beloved Boston teams. Upstairs, we offer the same amazing menu, yet treat guests to the quieter, traditional linen tablecloth treatment with spectacular ocean views. The upstairs dining room has its own bar and can easily accommodate up to 70 people, making it a great venue for private events, special occasions or that rare date night out.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I often feel that we experience an inordinate amount of bad luck, in retrospect though, I would say we are truly fortunate. We have the honor of sharing so many special occasions with our guests, such as; anniversaries, weddings, birthdays, rare date nights, etc., it is truly a privilege to be able to make these special occasions lasting memories for our patrons!
Pricing:
- Appetizers, soups & Salads from $7 – $15
- Sandwichs, small plates and entrees from $14 – $35
- Homemade desserts $8
- Glass wines, cocktails & beers from $5 – $20
- Extensive wine list starting at $20 per bottle
Contact Info:
- Address: 145 Nantasket Avenue
Hull, MA 02045 - Website: www.rinatobistro.com
- Phone: 781-925-6336
- Email: info@rinatobistro.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/rinatobistro
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/rinatobistro
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/RinatoBistro
- Yelp: www.yelp.com/biz/rinato-bistro-hull-2
- Other: www.opentable.com/restaurant/profile/53038
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.
