Today we’d like to introduce you to Ben Lord.
Ben, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
The Black Birch opened in December of 2011 in Kittery, ME. It started a few years before that as a dream of a couple of restaurant workers– It was a dream about having a restaurant and bar that was capable of appealing to us and to our parents and their friends; approachable, vibrant, and maybe even raucous. We started small– a bar and ten or eleven tables, the size place where owners would touch every plate of food, every drink. Even today, that happens.
And that sense of ownership, of pride, is present. In July of 2017, we opened Chapel+Main, a restaurant | brewery in Dover, NH. We added a new set of partners in taking on the second project– in part, to keep that sense of ownership and pride in every plate and glass we serve. We think that it shows, both in the quality of the food, in our staff’s sense of pride, and in the experience as a whole for our guests.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I can’t say it’s always been a smooth road. There have certainly been a great deal of struggles… both professional and personal. But, hopefully, those struggles haven’t impacted the experience at the restaurant.
It’s sort of a theater– the show must go on; each and every night, almost without fail. You show up in the morning and start whatever it is you do; prep product, bookkeeping, cleaning the bathrooms. Whatever it is you do, you show up and do. And you keep the team motivated. Bad week? Relationship ends? Clean the floor, smile. Get ready for service. Not sure if you can make payroll? You sure as hell won’t if you can’t smile. Prep product. Say hello as the team rolls in. Smile. Leave everything at the door.
We’ve been fortunate. We work hard and we play hard. And we surround ourselves with the best people we can… from our teams in each restaurant to the guests coming in our doors, to the restaurant community in the seacoast. There are a lot of great people, and they make our jobs, they make hospitality easier.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about The Black Birch – what should we know?
As a company, we pride ourselves on the experience we provide. Our guests come back for the staff, that rarely changes; the food, that changes regularly, but is always consistent and delicious. Comfort food. Playful, inventive and familiar.
We try to do our best every day. Both the days we open the doors for guests, and the days we are dark. The days we are dark, we do our best for our employees; a chance to remind ourselves of the importance of friends and family. Opportunities to break bread with loved ones at a table, rather than standing in a back hallway. Those moments where we can pause and breathe, where the restaurant can do the same, those moments teach us about hospitality.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
We value our community. We value people. The people who are our family and the people who have yet to walk through the door.
When we opened, Kittery Foreside had yet to experience its renaissance. The bridge was poised to close that connected Portsmouth, NH and Kittery. The route 95 bridge bypassed Kittery, by and large. The day we signed our first lease the Rt 1 bridge closure was announced– a year ahead of schedule. It was a disguised blessing. We had no idea what would happen to Kittery’s developing downtown.
As it turned out, Kittery residents were happy to not have to travel across the bridge for dinner out. And, the community that showed up to dinner knew one another and loved running into familiar faces. We facilitated a party every night where neighbors could turn up and get reacquainted. It worked out spectacularly. The party is still going.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2 Government St Kittery ME 03904
- Website: www.theblackbirch.com
- Phone: 207-703-2294
- Email: eat@theblackbirch.com
- Instagram: blackbirchkittery
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBlackBirch/
Image Credit:
Greta Rybus
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